Bacon Cheeseburger Enchilada Bake

My two older boys (ages 3 and 4) go together like peas and carrots.

My four year old is the carrot. He’s lean, sweet, and practical. Not a moment passes when he isn’t working on some new plan. He passes out arm massages on his way out the door each morning, loves morning snuggles, and thinks his baby brother is the cat’s meow.

My three year old is the peas. He’s whimsical, hard to get a grasp on, and a bit roly-poly. He speaks in a gruff little man voice and says funny things like, HEY, I’m Iron Man! He wields cooperation (or lack thereof) as his weapon of choice. His favorite joke involves shouting, “Underpants” then laughing until everyone else can’t help but laugh along. He thinks his mommy is the cat’s meow and is still mad at the baby for stealing his place in my arms.

They are different as two boys can be, yet stuck together like glue.

Their differences carry through to all manners of their little lives. Take, for example, their savings goals. My four year old is saving for college. I don’t think he fully understands what college is, but he knows it costs money and that he’d better start saving. My three year old, on the other hand, is saving for a trip to Disney World…because he likes Mickey Mouse and roller coasters (though he’s never actually been on a roller coaster). I support both of their choices with equal gusto.

So, this morning I explained to my little whimsical man that we had a very important mission for the day.

What do we have to do, Mommy?

We need to get the winning Mega Millions ticket.

But, why?

Because Mommy wants to win 500 million dollars.

It’s sort of like money.

Yes, sweetie. It’s exactly like money…an unimaginable amount of money. And we can put it…

…in my piggy bank! For Disney World.

Yes, love. We’ll put it in your piggy bank for Disney World. And college. It would be plenty of money for both. In fact, Mommy could hire Mickey Mouse as your private college tutor if we win.

We bought our ticket this morning. My little man is already packing his bags for Disney World. I sure hope his packing isn’t in vain, because I can think of a few things I would do with the leftover winnings. Geez, can you even imagine?? I feel dizzy just thinking about it. Somebody’s going to win it…and I just hope they share a little with me when they do!

This recipe has been sitting in my queue for months now. Not sure how it got buried in there, but it’s a good one…sort of a marriage between a Mexican enchilada bake and a classic bacon cheeseburger. People always seem to be looking for ground beef ideas and this is a yummy one! It’s easy, delicious, and full of flavors the whole family will enjoy.

So, who else is playing the lotto? And whatcha gonna do with all that moolah if you win??

Bacon Cheeseburger Enchilada Bake

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 5 slices American cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoon flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (plus additional cheese to sprinkle on top)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 10 small corn or flour tortillas
• Additional bacon and ketchup, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat, until crispy. Drain any excess bacon fat. Add the ground beef. Cook for several minutes, stirring frequently, until fully cooked. Add three slices of the American cheese. Stir until melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

To prepare the sauce, melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the flour. Stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue whisking until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn down the heat. Add the cheddar cheese and two remaining slices of American cheese. Stir until melted. Stir in the chopped tomato. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To assemble, spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place a generous spoonful of the meat filling into the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla around the filling and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat until each tortilla has been filled, placing the enchiladas side by side in the baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Garnish with additional crumbled bacon and ketchup, if desired.