The Great Spring Melt

RIP, my poor back porch freezer.

When I went to the freezer last Sunday night to get my sugar free fudgesicle, the only thing hard about the little plastic package was the stick.

Uh oh! Not a good sign. Thankfully, however, I had just been in the freezer the night before, so most of the food still had ice crystals and survived the great spring melt.

I must admit that I'm not the best about rotating the food in the freezer. Too often, I just cram the newly purchased food wherever it will go and slam the door shut.

So, as I was transferring the food from the back porch freezer to the basement freezer, I did a little purging. And I also found a few treasures hidden away.

Since a pan of enchiladas was already in defrost mode, I stuck it in the refrigerator and then served it the next day.

Skaggs Appliance from Pratt delivered my new freezer Wednesday morning, and I reversed the process. Since we will have beef arriving soon, I needed to get the downstairs freezer ready for it. We'll see if I can maintain the order. I need Jill around to keep me in line (and to keep my fridge and freezer neat and tidy).

At least my vital equipment is less expensive than Randy's. And at least my freezer's untimely death happened before this year's beef was stashed in the freezer.

Obviously, this enchilada recipe freezes well. When I make enchiladas, I usually do extras so I can stash some in the freezer for busy days ... or for days when I clean out the freezer.

Just for the record, I don't know Joyce of Joyce's Enchilada fame. But it's from a Rural Electric Association cookbook. And we all know rural gals can cook. Enjoy!

Joyce's Beef Enchiladas

10 to 12 large flour tortillas
1 lb. grated cheese
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato soup
1 pkg. enchilada sauce

Combine tomato soup, sauce and enchilada mix and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Brown ground beef and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain. Add 1/2 of the tomato mixture to the meat mixture and simmer an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Put a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch pan (which has been sprayed with cooking spray). One at a time, dip tortillas in the remaining warmed sauce to soften the tortilla. Place on a plate. Top with meat and sprinkle generously with cheese. Roll up. Place in the pan. Repeat until all the tortillas and meat have been used. Top with remaining sauce and additional cheese.

Place in a 325-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is bubbly and melted.

Serve with Mexican rice and refried beans. To serve, top with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole or other toppings, as desired.