SLOW COOKER ENCHILADAS

I have to be honest. When I come across a slow cooker recipe that requires me to dirty another pan first, I pause and carefully evaluate before proceeding. In the end, I knew that even if I baked this enchilada casserole in the oven, it would require 2 "major" cooking vessels. Therefore, I decided to give this recipe for slow cooker enchiladas a try.

While I had read the recipe over and had all the ingredients on hand, I decided against using my smaller slow cooker--the recipe calls for a 5 quart--because it's one of those antiques that has a heating plate. I've found that heating plate too unreliable in terms of constant temperature and have relegated that cooker to heat up status only. That meant, though, that I would need to use my larger slow cooker and would have fewer layers and would require a few more tortillas.

The recipe is for 4 servings, but those are humongous servings (see photo on the right) that weigh in  at a hefty 800 plus calories. I ate one-eighth of the recipe with a half cup of rice and a salad and was very satisfied for my 6.5 WW points for the main dish.

4 huge servings or 6-8 average servings (from Taste of Home's The New Slow Cooker)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (I used 14 oz crushed tomatoes)
1/3 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz shredded cheese (I used reduced fat Mexican blend cheese)
6 (6-7 inch) flour tortillas (I required 8)

In a skillet, cook beef, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are tender (about 8 minutes). Drain excess fat, if any, and add the next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil, the reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

In a 5 quart slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, one tortilla, and about 1/3 cup of cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, until heated through. (This is an estimate at best; I should have stopped cooking mine after 4 hours, at the most.)
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TASTE NOTES
I thought this casserole was quite tasty and my 1/8 portion was more than generous. One caveat--I tend to like things on the drier side, so you might enjoy serving this with a dollop of sour cream and some salsa or pico de gallo on top. For those who need to prepare something untended, this is a good recipe, though I must reiterate that the cooking time seemed long, Truthfully, next time I want enchiladas and don't feel like stuffing and wrapping, I'll just use my regular recipe , substituting ground beef for the chicken, and bake them in the stove as usual.