| Doesn't just about everyone love great | | | | This will get that delicious enchilada sauce on the |
| enchiladas? Would you like to learn how | | | | inside of your enchiladas as well and mix in and |
| restaurants make them? My family had a Mexican | | | | flavor your cheese or meat. No dry enchiladas |
| restaurant where I was the cook. I will explain to | | | | here. |
| you how we did it and leave you with the best | | | | Secret #4 |
| tips for delicious enchiladas. | | | | Make your enchiladas fresh. In other words make |
| I would venture to say that the most important | | | | them and serve them the same day. They simply |
| part to making great enchiladas, whether they are | | | | taste better and won't dry out. If you absolutely |
| beef, cheese, chicken or pork, is the sauce. If the | | | | must make them the day before (you will |
| ingredients are tasty but the sauce is mediocre | | | | compromise on flavor and texture), top them |
| then the overall end result is uneventful. In my | | | | before heating with a fresh new layer of hot |
| view it's the sauce that makes a cheese enchilada | | | | enchilada sauce and then cheese and onion. |
| recipe great. | | | | Heat them well in a hot oven. In the restaurant |
| Secret #1 | | | | business, our steam table kept all of our food hot. |
| Start with a great sauce. You have some options | | | | So when making up a plate the food was already |
| here. | | | | pretty hot but we always put the plates in the |
| 1. Make your own (recipe below) | | | | oven to get them really hot. Mexican food just |
| 2. Buy some enchilada sauce from your favorite | | | | taste better that way. |
| Mexican restaurant | | | | So make sure you put your enchiladas in the |
| 3. Trader Joes has a respectable bottled enchilada | | | | oven and heat them until you see the sauce |
| sauce. It's not great but a little better than what | | | | bubble up. This is especially important when |
| you will find in most grocery stores. | | | | making cheese enchiladas. You want to make |
| Rockin Robin's Enchiladas Sauce | | | | sure that cheese melts on the inside. |
| Ingredients: | | | | So there you have it. If you follow those 4 |
| - 2 cups chicken broth | | | | secrets you will have delicious tasting enchiladas. I |
| - 4 Tbs. Chili Powder | | | | guarantee it! |
| - 1 tsp. ground cumin | | | | Let's Make Some Great Cheese Enchiladas. |
| - 2 heaping tsp. garlic powder (no added salt) | | | | Ingredients: |
| - 3/4 tsp. salt | | | | - 1lb of mild cheddar cheese, grated |
| - 1 pinch ground cinnamon (less than 1/16 tsp.) | | | | - 10-12 corn tortillas |
| - 1/3 tsp. sugar | | | | - 1/4 - 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion |
| - 5Tbs. cold water | | | | - vegetable oil |
| - 4 Tbs. white flour | | | | - 24 ounces of enchilada sauce, heated |
| Directions: | | | | - guacamole |
| In a 2 quart sauce pan add the chicken broth, chili | | | | - sour cream |
| powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, cinnamon and | | | | Directions: |
| sugar (the sugar is a little secret to eliminate any | | | | Heat an inch or two of oil in a small frying pan |
| bitter taste from the chili powder). | | | | over medium heat. Watch the oil so it doesn't |
| Use a whisk to mix everything well. Heat to a boil, | | | | smoke. Cover a tray with foil (for easy clean up) |
| reduce heat to a low boil and cook for 3-4 | | | | and grab some tongs. Use the tongs to dip two |
| minutes. Whisk frequently to make sure all spices | | | | corn tortillas at a time in the hot oil. When they |
| dissolve. This is important for flavor and a nice | | | | start to bubble, lift and dip the tortillas 3 times |
| smooth sauce. | | | | quickly in the oil. |
| While the sauce is on a slow simmer/boil, add 5 | | | | Now either dip the tortillas into the hot enchilada |
| tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. With | | | | sauce to coat and then lay them on the |
| another whisk mix 1 tablespoon at a time of flour. | | | | foil-covered tray you prepared. |
| Whisk vigorously to avoid lumps. If you have | | | | Sometimes what happens with this technique is |
| lumps here, you will definitely have lumps in your | | | | that the tortillas will tear due to the weight of the |
| sauce. | | | | sauce. If that happens try placing the tortillas onto |
| After 3-4 minutes of cooking the sauce, turn the | | | | the foil tray before dipping in the sauce. Then ladle |
| heat up to high. Very slowly, pour the flour | | | | sauce onto the tortillas and turn them over to |
| mixture into the boiling sauce. | | | | coat with sauce. |
| Here you must whisk the sauce vigorously while | | | | Now you are ready for the cheese. Add a layer |
| adding the flour to avoid lumps. After all the flour | | | | of grated cheese right down the middle of the |
| is added, continue to whisk for one minute. You | | | | tortilla, then a sprinkle of onion. Be sure to add |
| can turn the heat down to medium during this | | | | plenty of cheese as it will melt down when |
| time. Just make sure the sauce is boiling. Let it boil | | | | heated. Grab the end of the tortilla closest to you |
| for 3 or 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, this | | | | and bring it 3/4 of the way over to the other |
| enchilada sauce is done. | | | | end. Tuck and roll the tortilla into a cylinder. |
| You will notice that as this sauce sits it will form a | | | | Pick up the cheese enchilada with your fore |
| "skin" on the surface. This is normal and in fact | | | | fingers on the bottom where the seam is. Let |
| the longer the sauce sits the thicker this skin | | | | your pinky fingers cover the ends of the |
| becomes. All you have to do is peel the skin off | | | | enchilada to keep the cheese from falling out while |
| and throw it away. | | | | you move it to an oven proof dish. Continue with |
| Now that you have options for making or | | | | the rest of the enchiladas. |
| acquiring enchilada sauce, you have secret number | | | | Using a ladle, pour hot enchilada sauce over the |
| 1 out of the way. | | | | top of the cheese enchiladas and let plenty of |
| Secret #2 | | | | sauce run down the sides. Remember, the sauce |
| Always dip the corn tortillas, one or two at a time | | | | is what makes it? Sprinkle more cheese and onion |
| in hot oil, to soften them. Many home cooks miss | | | | over the top. |
| this important step and just put a little sauce on | | | | Place in a 400*F. oven until the cheese melts and |
| the tortillas, fill them with cheese and roll them up. | | | | the sauce is bubbling. It's important that these |
| Dipping the tortillas in hot oil really adds flavor to | | | | enchiladas are hot enough so that the cheese |
| your enchiladas and makes rolling them much | | | | melts inside. It may take 10 to 15 minutes or |
| easier. Be careful when rolling the enchiladas as | | | | more. Let your eyes be the judge. |
| they are very hot. | | | | Serve with guacamole and sour cream. |
| Secret #3 | | | | You can substitute beef, chicken or pork in this |
| After dipping the tortillas in hot oil, dip them in hot | | | | basic enchilada recipe. |
| enchilada sauce and coat both sides of the tortillas. | | | | Enjoy! |