A unique, delicious meal that comes together quickly with a yummy tomato based sauce, corn pancakes and toppings you love!
Unique and Nostalgic
This was one of my favorite meals growing up. My mom made it often when we were having guests over for dinner. It is a recipe that can be whipped together last minute but still produce a fun, delicious meal.
I have no idea who Bethann is but I have really enjoyed her enchilada’s my whole life. Someday, I will meet her and thank her.
These are not traditional enchiladas in any sense of the word. They are in fact more like corn pancakes covered in a unique sauce and toppings. Sounds a little odd but really makes a delicious, filling meal.
Sauce It Up, Buttercup
First, you make the sauce. It is made with ground beef, quinoa or rice, chicken broth, peppers, onions, tomato sauce and peperoncini.
Peperoncini jars often have yellow #6 as an additive. Check your jars so you aren’t inadvertently adding food coloring to your dinner. Our local Sprouts carries the brand Jeff’s Garden and they use turmeric to brighten their peppers. Thank you Jeff’s Garden!
If you want this to be a meatless meal, it is simple to replace the ground beef with beans. Still super yummy and filling and the grain and legume combined will make a complete protein.
Toppings
Once you have the sauce under way, you can prep your toppings. We like lettuce, tomatoes, avocadoes and salsa.
Cheese and sour cream can also be added. Green onions might be delightful or even sliced olives. Add whatever toppings you like to eat with Mexican food.
Do We Call it a Tortilla or a Pancake?
Now that the toppings are ready, you can prep your corn pancakes. The batter comes together quickly.
I prefer to use organic corn meal so we aren’t getting a GMO product but, use whatever you have on hand.
The flour is also flexible. I typically use gluten free flour in this recipe but all-purpose flour will be great or even a whole grain. I have tried sprouted spelt flour too and it worked well.
Once you have mixed up your batter – you want it thin enough so it spreads into a circle on the pan on its own but doesn’t run all over the place – heat up your skillet.
Once your corn pancakes are ready, it is time to eat! Everyone gets to build their enchiladas just how they want them.
Bethann’s Corn Pancake Enchiladas
Sauce:
1 pound ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
½ cup rice or quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz tomato sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 -½ cup chopped peperoncini and juice, depending on desired heat level
1 teaspoon salt
Brown ground beef in a large pot. Add onions and peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes until peppers are tender and onions are slightly translucent.
Add rice or quinoa, broth, tomatoes seasonings and peperoncinis. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir well and reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the quinoa or rice is cooked and the sauce has thickened, it is done. While this is simmering, you can prepare the corn pancake.
Corn Pancake:
1 cup flour – works well with GF or whole grain
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
¼ cup oil
1 ½ – 2 cups water
Heat a large skillet. Stir together all corn pancake ingredients until just combined. You want the batter to be pretty thin. When you cook them, you want them thinner than a normal pancake but slightly thicker than a tortilla. Pour batter on hot greased skillet in desired size circles. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake and then flip and cook on the other side.
To serve: place corn pancake on plate and top with sauce and desired toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, avocadoes, sour cream, cheese, sliced olives, green onions, and/or salsa.
TWEAK IT NOTES
- CORNMEAL – I use organic cornmeal from Azure Standard. All conventional corn in the US is GMO. I prefer to avoid GMO products and so I purchase organic.
- PEPERONCINI – Avoid the food coloring. The brand Jeff’s Garden from sprouts doesn’t contain yellow #6.
- MEATLESS – Skip the ground beef and add 1-2 cans of desired beans – we have used pinto or black.
- VEGAN – Use beans as well as veggie broth in the sauce and use flax eggs in the corn pancake.
