Mateo’s Gourmet Red Enchilada Sauce

Once we became obsessed with Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa, it was only a matter of time before another Mateo’s gourmet product would find its way into our shopping cart.  I’ve had a couple of bottles of Mateo’s Gourmet Red Enchilada Sauce in the pantry for several weeks, and after the rich holiday food over the Thanksgiving weekend, a Tex-Mex entree sounded pretty good.  (Just for the record, Tex-Mex always sounds good to me after turkey and dressing!)  I wasn’t in the mood to prepare enchiladas, so a casserole recipe was in order.  I checked out my reliable From My Kitchen, Once More!! cookbook by Barbara Richardson McClellan, and found one I thought would adapt well.  With no disrespect to the recipe’s creator, I also felt compelled to change the recipe’s name from “Matador’s Mania” to something a little less dramatic.  After all, its a casserole.

Mateo’s Enchilada Casserole

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 16-oz. can refried beans
• 6 oz. Mateo’s Gourmet Red Enchilada Sauce (1/2 bottle)
• 6 corn tortillas (6″ size)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare a 7″ x 11″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Sauté ground beef in skillet over medium heat.  Drain, and add onion, seasonings, and water.  Cook, stirring occasionally until water is evaporated.  Stir in beans.  Layer as follows in the baking dish:  2 oz. of enchilada sauce, 2 tortillas placed side by side in sauce, half of meat mixture and sour cream.  Continue layering:  2 oz. enchilada sauce, 2 tortillas placed side by side, and half of meat mixture.  Create the final layers:  2 tortillas side by side,  2 oz. enchilada sauce, and grated cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Makes 6 servings.

I tasted the enchilada sauce before layering it in the casserole dish, and thought it had a very flavorful spicy blend of chili powder, oregano, garlic, cumin, jalapeño and cilantro in a tomato base.  The casserole was very tasty, and because the recipe did not call for a lot of spices, Mateo’s Gourmet Red Enchilada Sauce played a leading role in the dish’s flavor.  The end result was family friendly, because the pepper taste was not exceedingly hot.  People who enjoy their Tex-Mex more heated could layer some jalapeño peppers into the dish.

Andrew Robbins and his family have another winner with their Gourmet Red Enchilada Sauce!  They also offer margarita and blood mary mixes, and February is the expected launch date for the latest product – barbecue sauce.  Their retail distribution network is growing rapidly, and you can order any of their products from their website.