Enchiladas Rojas
For my Latino and not-so-Latino friends, I present easy, tasty, ricas, enchiladas rojas
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2 cups chicken *I usually just use a can of whatever size I have on hand
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 7-ounce can hatch green chiles *see recipe notes on spice levels
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cheese *I recommend monterey jack or a Mexican blend
Making the Enchiladas
- 10 flour tortillas *8 inches in diameter, soft taco size
- 1 red enchilada sauce *My favorite is Old El Paso
- 2 cups cheese *This is the same cheese you used before, but it wil go on the top of the enchiladas
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Shred you chicken if you have not already done so. Then add it to a large bowl.
- Add the sour cream, hatch green chiles, onion powder, salt, and cheese and stir to combine.
Form the Enchiladas
- Grease the bottom of two 9 x 13 inch pans. If you don't have two pans of that size, you can squeeze the enchiladas into whatever size baking pans you have, but if you only have smaller ones, you may need to use more.
- Add a little enchilada sauce to the bottom of your pans (enough to cover). Then add some to cover the bottom of a plate. Pull out 10 tortillas (trust me, it's about to get messy).
- Dip a tortilla in the enchilada sauce, making sure the sauce gets on both sides. Then, place it in the pan and add some filling. Roll the tortilla up and repeat this step until you have filled all 10 tortillas, adding more sauce to the dipping plate as needed. There should be 5 tortillas in each 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake
- Pour any remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas. Top them with about 1 cup of cheese for each pan. Then bake for 20-30 minutes, or, until the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
Spice Levels
The type of green chiles you use will dictate a lot of the spice. Mild Hatch chiles make for family-friendly enchiladas, but if you want more heat, grab the medium or hot variety. You could also add a pinch of cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce to the filling.
Recommendations for Serving
- Pickled jalapeños - If some people in your family prefer spice while others don't, this is a great option. The tanginess adds lightness to the dish.
- Cilantro
- Salsa Criolla Peruana - Thinly sliced red onion soaked in lime juice and a dash of salt. Add a touch of ají amarillo paste if you have it. It tastes amazing (even if you're not big on onions) and adds freshness and crunch to brighten the dish. This is a good side or topping for just about any Latin American dish. You can make it in about 1 minute since you are supposed to use freshly chopped red onion for it.
- A side of refried beans, Mexican rice, and/or a side salad round out this meal nicely.
