J’s been busting my butt about going to Macayo’s Mexican restaurant for their enchiladas. She usually gets one Baja style (green) and one regular cheese. I must admit, enchiladas have always been one of my favorite Mexican dinners so I can totally relate. Enchiladas are always good in my book, even when their bad. Some of my favorite are from a fast food joint in Topeka, KS called Taco Tico, it’s all about their sauce baby. My mom also makes a killer enchilada. She makes it flat style and uses old el paso enchilada sauce from the can and it’s some of my favorite store bought. Not sure if it’s just because it reminds me of simpler times or if it’s just good. For moms you just layer everything, stacking it up as high as you want, tortilla, meat, sauce, cheese, tortilla meat, lettuce and so on. The ones pictured above are more like the ones you get in a restaurant (like Macayo’s). I’d rate these as better than average, J expressed her appreciation for them more than once so that’s a good sign. I think she even muttered “goodbye Macao’s”.
These recipes were taken out of my newly purchased book The Joy of Cooking which has like 4500 recipes in it and more. I also ordered a couple other books on sauces so hopefully there will be some more good stuff hitting the table.
Cheese Enchiladas
Recipe from The Joy of Cooking cookbook. Yields 6 enchiladas, serves 4. Double recipe to make 12 enchiladas, enough to fill a 9×13 baking dish. Each of these recipes will fill a 9×9 pan or half of a 9×13 if you want to make both in one pan to mix it up a bit.
- Ingredients
- 6 corn tortillas
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 T. finely chopped garlic
- 1 T. peanut oil/vegetable oil
- 2 T. chili powder
- 1 t. ground cumin
- 1/4 t. ground pepper
- 1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 1/4 c. shredded cheese
- 1/2 c. shredded cheese for topping
- Preparation
Cook the oil, chopped onions, peppers and garlic over medium-high heat until the onions become translucent and barley start to brown on edges, about 7 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin and pepper. Cook an additional minute. Now pour in the drained tomatoes cooking for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool thoroughly. Once cooled blend to your desired consistency for your enchilada sauce. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with foil. Lightly brush or spray both sides of each corn tortilla with oil and lay out on foil, overlapping is fine. Cover with a second sheet of foil wrapping it around cookie sheet. Cook until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. Mix in a medium bowl 1/4 c. of the sauce and 1 1/4 c. cheese and set aside. Pour half the sauce over the bottom of a greased/oiled baking dish. Divide cheese mixture between 6 corn tortillas then place each rolled enchilada next to one another on top of sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top and top and left over cheese. Cook for about 10 minutes or until sauces starts to boil on top (400 degrees).
Enchiladas Verdes
Recipe from The Joy of Cooking cookbook. Yields 6 enchiladas, serves 4. Double recipe to make 12 enchiladas, enough to fill a 9×13 baking dish. Each of these recipes will fill a 9×9 pan or half of a 9×13 if you want to make both in one pan to mix it up a bit.
- Ingredients
- 6 corn tortillas
- a little peanut oil/vegetable oil to lightly coat veggies for roasting and for brushing tortillas
- 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and rinsed (I used yellow heirloom)
- 1/2 medium poblano or Anaheim pepper, halved and seeded (I didn’t have so I didn’t use)
- 1/4 of a large onion, cut in half
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 c. and 1 T. spinach, chopped
- 2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 T. vegetable stock
- fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste
- 1 1/4 c. shredded cheese
- 1/4 c. sour cream
- 1 T. scallions, finely chopped
- 1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/8 t. sea salt
- extra sour cream for serving
- Preparation
Roast tomatillos, onion, pepper and garlic in a 400 degree oven until very tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside to fully cool. Combine (including juices) with the spinach, cilantro, vegetable stock, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse. Add more stock and pulse longer to get desired consistency. Set aside. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with foil. Lightly brush or spray both sides of each corn tortilla and lay out on foil, overlapping is fine. Cover with a second sheet of foil wrapping it around cookie sheet. Cook until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl combine Cheese, sour cream, scallions, cilantro, and salt. Divide cheese mixture between 6 corn tortillas and place each rolled enchilada next to one another in a greased/oiled baking dish. Pour sauce over top and cook for about 10 minutes or until sauces starts to boil on top (400 degrees). Serve with sour cream.
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