Cheeseburger Enchiladas

Looking for something different, but just as delicious to serve your family? These Cheeseburger Enchiladas are sure to please with their unique combination of Mexican and classic American cuisine.

Growing up, we had one kind of enchiladas at our house – cheeseburger enchiladas.

The story goes that my grandmother’s Mexican neighbor taught her this recipe, and she of course, passed it down to her girls, who of course, passed it on to me.

my aunt calls them a “family treasure” and she’s right. Mom made a lot of friends by having them over for an enchilada dinner, and when they said things like, “these aren’t real enchiladas” she just laughed – she knew the origins of the recipe.

I remember one of these friends in particular. We had just moved to Tennessee and didn’t really know anybody, but met a family down the road from us.

Mom, of course, invited them over for Enchiladas, and they fell in love – particularly the other mom.

Shortly afterward, they invited us over for a homemade pizza dinner, and mom fell equally in love with our new neighbor’s cooking and a tradition was born; taking turns at each other’s houses for pizza or enchiladas.

I love these cheeseburger enchiladas, but just as much, I love the memories they trigger every time I make them.

They remind me of those simple stories of food and friendship from my childhood, family get-togethers as an adult with kids of my own, and the last time we had enchiladas together, whenever that was.

Like gluten-free upside down pizza, these enchiladas were one of mom’s dinner party rotation recipes. They remind me of her, and I remember the laughs, the arguments, the “how much cheese should I shred” discussions as we made them, the delighted look in mom’s eye as she watched grandchildren file in to eat them.

They really are a family treasure, and with every cheesy, spicy, dill-pickle-y bite, I treasure the memories bring.

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