Beef and Bean Enchiladas

New Year. I do not make resolutions because I am a truck driver and a mother of four and my resolution every year is the same: keep going. Keep the truck running. Keep the kids fed. Keep showing up. That is not a resolution. That is a job description. But it is mine, and I am good at it, and I do not need January first to remind me.

The kids were up until midnight on New Year Eve because I let them stay up for the first time, which was either progressive parenting or exhaustion-based decision-making. Tyler fell asleep on the couch at eleven-thirty and had to be woken up for the countdown, which he experienced with the confused fury of a child dragged from sleep. Josie made it to midnight through sheer willpower and crashed at twelve-oh-one. Amber watched the ball drop on TV with the detached interest of someone who understands that time is a human construct, which is a lot of philosophical weight for a twelve-year-old but tracks for Amber. Justin banged pots on the porch at midnight because Dave told him he could, which I will discuss with Dave later.

January in Nebraska is the month where winter stops pretending and shows you what it actually is: relentless, gray, cold in a way that hurts your face and your bones and your will to live. The high on New Year Day was twelve degrees. I drove a load to Omaha in the morning and the road was salted and the sky was white and the cab heater was on full blast and I still could not feel my toes by Lincoln.

I made black-eyed peas for New Year Day because it is supposed to be good luck, which I do not really believe but I do not not believe either. Black-eyed peas, ham hock, onion, garlic, chicken broth, simmered for hours until the peas are tender and the ham is falling off the bone. Served with cornbread and collard greens, which I realize is more of a Southern tradition than a Nebraska one, but food does not respect state lines and neither do I.

The kids were skeptical. Tyler tried the peas and said they were okay, which is high praise from Tyler. Justin ate the cornbread and ignored everything else. Josie ate the ham and called the peas weird. Amber ate everything because Amber eats everything. Dave had two bowls and said if this is what luck tastes like, I will take it. I will take it too, Dave. I will take all the luck I can get.

The black-eyed peas are a once-a-year thing — tradition, luck, ham falling off the bone — but January in Nebraska is not a once-a-year problem, and a family of six needs more than one warm meal to get through it. These Beef and Bean Enchiladas are what I make when I get home from a long haul and the kids are hungry and the temperature outside is doing something personal and mean. It is the kind of dinner that satisfies the Tylers and the Justins of the world without a debate: beef, beans, cheese, sauce, done.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (80/20)
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cans (10 oz each) red enchilada sauce
8 medium flour tortillas (8-inch)
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Sour cream, sliced green onions, and pickled jalapenos for serving (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce across the bottom.
Brown the beef. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Season and add beans. Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add drained pinto beans and 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce. Stir to combine and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Assemble enchiladas. Lay a tortilla flat. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the beef and bean filling down the center. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese. Roll tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Top and bake. Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top in an even layer. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Uncover and finish. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–12 minutes until cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden at the edges.
Rest and serve. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, sliced green onions, or pickled jalapenos as desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Beef and Bean Enchiladas — The Warmth That Carries You Through January