Whether you want to serve as a casserole or as individaul enchiladas, this easy homemade enchilada recipe allows you make any kind of enchildas you desire (fillings, texture, etc.). It starts off with a mole sauce, but links to my Verde (green sauce made with either tomatillos — or as last resort — green tomatoes) and Cheese sauces are also included.
If desired, can be made ahead and frozen (already baked or unbaked).
I used to be able to just make the Verde one day, if using, and do everything else the next day.
Now, due to physical limitations, I usually roast the veggies one day if making Verde and/or cook the meat and any other prep work, then on the second day I’ll assemble them (no sauce) and if still needed make the sauce out of the already roasted veggies — then all I have to do is bake them and add sauce in the desired manner on the third day. I make enough to have some to eat fresh and some to freeze for a later date.
Tam’s Enchiladas, Enchilada Casserole, and Enchilada Sauces
Enchilada (Mole) sauce:
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis (mild or medium)
1/2 tsp Tiger sauce or Tobasco sauce
3 Tbsp Lee & Perrins Worcesteshire sauce
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 to 1 cup onion, or to taste, fine diced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 to 2 garlic cloves, or to taste, crushed
1/16 to 1/8 tsp (large pinch) ground cinnamon
1/16 to 1/8 tsp (large pinch) red pepper flakes, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
In medium bowl, stir together sauce ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Meat filling:
Brown ground meat first in large skillet, pour off excess grease, add sauce. and simmer just until bubbly.
Otherwise, cook meat of choice in the sauce with 1 cup broth until done. Remove the meat to a cutting board and shred by pulling apart with two dinner forks. If required, continue to boil sauce until reduced to desired thickness and skim off any exessive oils released by the meat. Return shredded/pulled meat to sauce and stir to coat.
Using slotted spoon to drain, spoon meat into choice of corn or flour tortillas.
Add any other fillings of choice — such as cheese, diced onions, and/or jalapenos for example.
Fold two ends inward just enough so the tuck doesn’t slip out when rolled, roll up starting from one of the non-folded ends, and place seam side down in a greased glass casserole dish.
Cheese filling:
Fill with cheeses and any other ingredients of choice such as diced onions or jalepenos.
Fold two ends inward just enough so the tuck doesn’t slip out when rolled, roll up starting from one of the non-folded ends, and place seam side down in a greased glass casserole dish.
Tex-Mex Vegetable filling:
Fill with chunky guacamole and/or pinto beans (rinsed and drained) — along with any other ingredients of choice — such as diced onions, black beans (rinsed and drained), whole kernel sweet corn, diced bell peppers, roasted bell peppers, caramelized onions, drained Mexican street corn, vegetarian refried beans, black olives.
Fold two ends inward just enough so the tuck doesn’t slip out when rolled, roll up starting from one of the non-folded ends, and place seam side down in a greased glass casserole dish.
If you prefer enchiladas with some crunch, or to be able to remove them individually rather than slicing into it like a casserole, prebake without any additional sauce to brown as desired first. This will prevent them from absorbing as much sauce and becoming too soft so easily separate to serve individually as well as allows you to put as much crunch into them as desired.
No pre-browning is required for a casserole and if desired instead of rolling up individual enchiladas simply create layers.
Pour remaining sauce over top. Top with additional shredded cheeses and sprinkle with other toppings of choice. You may serve now for crunchy or if prefer softer bake as directed — depending upon desired texture.
Baking with the sauce after browning first will produce a softer enchilada but you will still be able to serve them up individually.
For casserole, no pre-browning is needed, simply pour on sauce after stuffing and rolling then bake — or rather than stuffing just create layers with a bit of sauce added to each with enough left to top it off.
Bake in preheated oven with sauce and desired toppings until hot all the way through, bubbly, and any cheeses on top are melted. Times vary with type and quantity of ingredients — usually around 25 to 45 minutes. If cheese or other toppings browning too quickly, cover loosely with sheet of foil.
Add additional toppings — or serve with any additional toppings and sauces as desired — such as: diced green onions/scallions, black olives, sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa, tobasco or Tiger hot sauces, Tex-Mex Caso (spicy cheese) dip, shredded lettuce, diced fresh tomatoes, Mexican corn, roasted bell peppers, caramelized onions, jalapenos, chili peppers, etc.
Recommended sides: Spanish rice, refried pinto or black beans, a garden salad, seasoned corn on the cob or with a side of whole kernal sweet corn mixed with diced green and red roasted bell peppers and caramelized onions then sprinkled decoratively with chili powder and paprika and chopped green onions or chives.
For Enchiladas Verde, see the following link on how to make traditional Verde sauce, prebake the enchiladas, then heat the sauce and pour the sauce on top afterwards.
It is best to make the sauce at least one day ahead to allow flavors to meld in the refrigerator. You may also allow sauce to warm up to room temperature and simply pour over hot enchiladas.
For a Cheese Enchilada sauce, see the following link, you may use in the same way as the mole sauce. To thin add milk and to thicken add more cheese. It will also thin as it gets hot and the cheese melts and thicken again as it cools.
For a cheesy enchilada sauce (make this recipe with or without meat/sausage, with or without beer):
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