Beef Enchiladas with Zesty Red Sauce

To prepare the spicy red sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook and stir 1/2 cup of onion until it becomes soft, taking around 3 to 4 minutes. Add 4 teaspoons of garlic and cook and stir until it releases its fragrance, which should take another 3 to 5 minutes. Be cautious not to burn the garlic as you stir constantly.

Next, add the dried oregano, 3 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder, basil, salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of cumin to the saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of salsa, tomato sauce, and tomato paste until they are well combined with the other ingredients.

Now, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and reduce the heat to low. Allow it to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the flavors have melded together and the sauce has thickened slightly.

While the spicy red sauce is cooking, prepare the ground beef mixture in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the ground beef until it is evenly browned, breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks. Remove the excess grease from the skillet and add 3/4 cup of onion, 1 tablespoon of garlic, and a pinch of chili powder to the meat. Cook and stir until the onions are softened and the mixture is fragrant with spices, taking around 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the enchilada sauce and beef broth, allowing them to simmer for 5 more minutes. Then add 1/2 cup of Mexican cheese blend and let it melt into the meat sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 30 minutes to thicken.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Next, prepare the tortillas by spraying both sides of each one with cooking spray. Stack them up with a piece of aluminum foil between each tortilla, and wrap the stack with aluminum foil. Place the tortillas in the preheated oven to warm for about 10 minutes.

Spread a layer of spicy red sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the meat mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup of it; roll the tortillas into enchiladas and arrange them in the baking dish, seam sides down. Pour the remaining spicy red sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup of meat mixture.

Top the enchiladas with the remaining 2 cups of Mexican cheese blend and bake until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly, taking about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.