ISO Enchilada Recipes

[phantomtigger]

HELP! I love making enchiladas. However, I have yet to find a recipe that just blows me away. I like chicken, beef, spinach, whatever. I'm not picky.

[GrillingFool]

This is a pretty decent chicken enchilada recipe....

6 cups cooked chicken
Corn tortillas (not flour; the taste is very different)
6 oz chopped green chilis (1 can)
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 oz cream cheese
1 can sliced black olives
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 cans enchilada sauce (red or green or mixed)
1/2 cup salsa
Cheese for the top

Optional: Sliced japalenos

Wrap about 10 tortillas in foil and warm in 200 degree oven.

Saute onion & garlic in olive oil until transparent.
Add spices, olives, chilies and cream cheese (japalenos if desired).
Heat on low heat until cheese is melted.
Add chicken and salsa, stir till warmed.

Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on bottom of large casserole dish.
Fill tortillas with mixture and roll up. The tortilla may split or start to
fall apart... use it anyway! :)
Place filled tortillas seam side down in casserole dish.
Cover with shredded cheese, olives, salsa and japalenos if desired.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees until hot, about 20 minutes.

This recipe is very forgiving if you like to customize. I have made it
with red sauces and with green. You can add japalenos, hot sauce,
cayenne pepper or other tongue scorchers if you like it hotter.
Cheese selection is open too... colby, mexican mixtures.. all are good.

[kitchenelf]

I will post two of my favorites tomorrow with one being a white chicken enchilada - my absolute favorite!

[BettyR]

Cheese enchiladas are my family’s favorite and I cook them often. It’s an inexpensive meal that makes everyone very happy.

I serve it with canned refried beans (heated with some cheese melted on top), homemade Spanish rice, guacamole and tortilla chips.

Cheese Enchiladas

1-26count- pkg. corn tortillas
Heat each corn tortilla by dipping it in hot oil or about 10 - 15 seconds per side and stack them on a small plate until all are heated. Cover with foil to keep warm.

2 pounds Monterey Jack cheese
Grate the cheese

4 Cups of Red Sauce

MAKE THE RED SAUCE:
4 Tablespoons of lard or bacon drippings
6 Tablespoons flour
4 cups water
5 chicken bullion cubes
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4-cup tomato sauce
dash of Cayenne Pepper

Melt the fat in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and
cook and stir until the flour is lightly browned. Add the water and stir with a wire whisk until smooth. Add the bullion, chili powder and cumin and tomato sauce, cook until smooth and bubbly. Cover and simmer on lowest heat, about 10 or 15 minutes – I let it cook while I put the rice together. Gravy should be very thin, if not add a little water to thin it out.

To Roll Enchiladas
Pour 1/2 of the red sauce into the pan that your going to put the enchiladas in.

Place a small hand-full of cheese in the middle and fold over and roll. Place the enchiladas in the pan in the red sauce. When the pan is full spoon the rest of the red sauce over the enchiladas, sprinkle with cheese and cover with foil.

To serve place your enchiladas in the oven and heat at 375° until piping hot or you can place a serving of enchiladas on a plate and heat in the microwave until very hot, serve with refried bean and Spanish rice.

[Dina]

I wouldn't recommend chili powder but 3 dried chilis: 1 ancho, 1 chipotle, 1 pasilla or guajilla. Boil water and dip the chilis for a few minutes until tender. In a blender combine sauteed onions, fresh garlic, 3 medium tomatoes, 2 teaspoons sugar (to take out acidity from tomato), 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin (depends on how much you like this spice), salt, pepper to taste and the seeded chilis. Blend well and pour over 1 to 1 1/2 pounds browned ground beef, add about 6 cups water and cook for 1/2 hour. Your sauce is ready. Fill the hot corn tortillas with meat sauce and Mexican blend grated cheese in a baking dish. You can dip the tortillas in hot oil just to soften them if you wish. After all is arranged in the dish, pour the remainder of the sauce and top with extra cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with a side salad, rice or any veggie you like. Enjoy!

[Lugaru]

I agree with Dina, buying a few dried peppers to keep in jars is the best investment you will ever make. My friend Tom grew up in Maine but his creativity has doubled ever since he started collecting dry peppers.

Btw if you are going to use a cheese blend I HIGHLY recomend using an italian blend instead of the "mexican" blend. The tase is closer to what we eat in Mexico and all in all it usually has better melting properties.