This week's theme is...

Kyle really wants me to put Michelle's Stacked Enchiladas recipe on here, so the theme this whole week is Mexican food. I know that we just did enchiladas last week, but stacked enchiladas are different. Quite different. The ingredients are the same, but the method is completely different. The resulting flavor and texture is quite different from normal enchiladas. Plus it's easier. This is definitely Kyle's favorite recipe his mom ever made, and is usually what he asks for on his birthday. As far as I know it is a Michelle original, but it has never been written down (to my knowledge) so please bear with me as I try to write it from memory.

You will need to find a round casserole pan that is the same-ish diameter as your tortillas, otherwise it's kinda hard to get it together nicely. Feel free to use any size of tortilla you can find, just as long as it fits your pan.

Stacked Enchiladas
Serves 6-ish

1 lb. of ground beef
Taco seasoning, or your own seasoning concoction
1 14.5-ish ounce can enchilada sauce
1 28-ish ounce can refried beans
1 bunch scallions, chopped
Shredded cheddar cheese (I never measure this, sorry)
Sour cream
Salsa

Brown your ground beef in a skillet with the taco seasoning. When cooked through, drain as much of the fat off as you can.

Liberally spray your Stacked Enchilada Pan with Pam. Pour a small amount (maybe 2 TB) of enchilada sauce into the bottom, then top with one tortilla. Pour more sauce (same small amount) on top of the tortilla. Then add maybe 1/2 cup of refried beans on top of the sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of the beef, then a handful of the chopped scallions, and some cheese (I don't measure, but I add enough that the vast majority of the surface is covered with cheese). Repeat these layers until either the pan is full or you run out of ingredients. The amounts you put in each layer may have to be altered to make sure it all fits, but it's not a problem if some layers are bigger than others. Make sure that you end with a good layer of cheese to make the crunchy top.

Put the pan in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until it is heated through and all the cheese on the top has created a nice crunchy crust. If it starts to get too brown, you can cover it with foil to prevent further cheese browning.

You can make the enchiladas ahead of time, refrigerate them, and cook them right before serving, but make sure to let it come to room temperature before cooking or it will take forever to heat through.

Serve topped with salsa, sour cream, and some remaining chopped scallions.

*There are endless variations of this recipe. Michelle often used shredded chicken instead of the beef. I have toyed with the idea of layering it in a 9x13 pan and cutting the tortillas into strips so I can make it to serve more people (adjusting all ingredients accordingly, of course). You can use jack cheese, or even pepper jack if you're feeling spicy. You can add a jalapeno to your ground beef as you cook, or some onions. See? Endless variations.