Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Enchiladas

The idea of having something spicy, meaty and cheesy always spells comfort to me, and having something cooking in the slow cooker all day makes a warm welcome after a hard day.  What better than a plate of shredded beef enchiladas and a glass of beer (or your favorite beverage) to sit down to with minimal effort when you had one of “those” days at work.   Once the beef is cooked and shredded (which can be done up to two days ahead) the enchiladas take about ten minutes to pull together and about twenty minutes to cook, which in my house means that I have the time to change into my “stretchy” pants and settle into a relaxed evening after my warm and comforting dinner.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

4 to 6 servings

• 1 2 pound boneless chuck roast
• 2 dried Guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed, torn into 1” pieces
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 32 ounces low sodium beef broth
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
• 2 8 ounce bags shredded Mexican 4 cheese blend
• 1 28 ounce can red enchilada sauce
• 10 7-inch corn tortillas
• Sour cream

Directions:

1. Place chuck roast in the slow cooker and add Guajillo chilies, yellow onion halves, garlic cloves, peppercorns and beef broth.  Cover and cook over low heat for 7 to 8 hours, or until beef is very tender.
2. Remove beef from slow cooker and discard broth and seasoning solids.  Let beef cool and then shred with two forks or with your fingers.  Add the finely chopped white onion, the diced green chilies and 1 of the bags of cheese blend to the beef and mix well together.
3. Prepare a 9” x 13” casserole dish by spraying with cooking spray.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. In a sauté pan heat about 1 cup of the red enchilada sauce to a simmer.   Dip a corn tortilla in the sauce to soften, remove to a plate and add some of the beef mixture to the center and roll up into a cylinder and place in the prepared casserole dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas using all of the beef. 
6. Top enchiladas with all of the red sauce including sauce used to soften tortillas and the second bag of cheese, covering well.  Bake in the preheated oven until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is bubby, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
7. Serve with sour cream.