Enchiladas

Decisions, decisions…red or green?

Let’s hear it for Team Enchilada!  They are so delicious, yet it seems the ubiquitous taco has taken all the spotlight away from these delicious chile covered bundles. Let’s face it, the taco has all the sexy elements I love in my food; crispy, spicy, cool, juicy, hand-held with a myriad of fillings, toppings and tortilla options. Well, the enchilada has just about as many options as the glorious taco, but it has the elegance of requiring to be eaten with a fork. The word Enchilada means “in chile” i.e., tortillas in chile and the basic formulation of the recipe is to dip tortillas in any type of chile you prefer, usually red or green, and fill them with some sort of yummy savory cheese or meat. Throw on some extra toppings, a side of rice and/or beans, and you have a wonderful and satisfying meal.

There are, as usual in Mexican food, many versions of a dish and the enchilada is no exception. In Mexico, they are not baked with lots of sauce, they are on the crispier side. They may not even fill them, like enchiladas a la plaza, which are just topped with cheese. My enchiladas of choice are a hybrid. They have enough chile to keep them moist, but they are not slathered in so much chile that they become a casserole. I say, experiment, and make your enchiladas, your way, however you like them, nice and moist, baked, or on the drier side, served as soon as they are assembled.

Growing up and as a young mother, Las Palmas mild red chile in a can, was the sauce of choice for my enchiladas (I also use this in my super easy Pozole recipe). They were basic border enchiladas; filled with cheese, lavishly slathered with sauce, baked and topped with more cheese, green onions, black olives and maybe “crema” (thin sour cream). I loved them and I still do. It’s the flavor I grew up with, but I encourage you to try making enchiladas with my homemade red chile or green chile. Making your own chile sauce allows you to customize the flavor by using various chiles. See my red chile sauce linked above for options.

As with many Mexican recipes, the toppings make the meal complete, so be creative. Shown above, Queso fresco, pickled red onions, crema, micro-greens, chopped nuts.

Serve alongside Mexican Rice and plenty of shredded cabbage salad. 

Enjoy!