Enchiladas

To make enchiladas or wraps quickly, use pre-made flour or corn tortillas. Corn tortillas taste best but the flour tortillas you use for sandwich wraps will make excellent enchiladas too.

Gail's Easy Enchiladas

This is my basic recipe that's very adaptable; use leftover skinless chicken, pork tenderloin, or beef.

If you cook fresh ground beef or use previously unfrozen cooked meat, you can bake the enchiladas in the pan, cook, wrap tightly, and then freeze to defrost and reheat another day.

If you have less meat or want a meatless meal, use canned or cooked beans and vegetables like squash, pumpkin puree, or peeled zucchini. I like to use black beans or kidney beans.

If you use fresh chopped tomatoes instead of canned, saute them with oil and onions. If you want to peel the tomatoes first, which I never do, immerse them in boiling water and then an icy water bath so the peel comes off easily.

Use any colour of bell peppers (orange, yellow, red or the less-sweet green.) Remove the stem, seeds and white rind inside before chopping. For extra spice, chop a jalapeno pepper or two with the seeds and put it in the pan when you saute the onions. For less heat, remove the seeds from hot peppers before you chop them.

For extra richness, top the filling with a little cheese before you roll the tortillas. Use dabs of goat cheese, cottage cheese, or grated cheese: Monterey Jack, cheddar, mozzarella, or a shredded cheese Tex Mex mixture. Add a 300 gram roll of Woolrich goat cheese to a pan of cooked vegetables with shredded chicken and it will melt and cover everything with a delicious sauce. Wrap or layer this filling in tortillas and spread the extra sauce from the pan over the tortillas, add a handful of shredded cheese and bake for about 20 minutes, delicious.

Large, soft, flour tortillas from the package at room temperature usually don't have to be heated before rolling. If you use a package of corn tortillas stored in the fridge, they will be stiff, so heat them before rolling, following package directions.  Put a tortilla in a hot cast iron or non-stick pan in a little hot vegetable oil will crisp up one side a little, put the heated side down in an ovenproof dish and then add the filling to the unfried side and roll up.

Instead of rolling small tortillas, save time by lining the greased baking dish with the tortillas and add the filling, then another layer of tortillas (as if you were making a lasagna) and continue till the tortilla and filling mixture has been used up. Sprinkle the top layer of tortillas with grated cheese and hot sauce (optional) and when baked (about 20 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven using a Pyrex rectangular dish) cut into squares to serve.

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground meat, browned in vegetable oil OR cooked, shredded skinless chicken or beef or pork
• canola oil
• 6 small onions (2 large) peeled and roughly chopped
• 1-2 cloves chopped fresh garlic (optional)
• 1 large can 796 mL (28 oz) diced tomatoes with juices (do not drain) OR a handful of cherry tomatoes, crushed in the hot pan, OR a large fresh tomato, diced
• 1 398 mL (14 oz) can black beans (drained and rinsed) optional
•  1 to 2 chopped bell peppers (any colour) seeds removed, chopped 
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)
• salt to taste
• cayenne pepper or chili powder 1-2 tsp to taste
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1-2 tsp ground coriander OR 1/2 bunch fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch (optional depending how much liquid is in the pan)
• 1 pkg of 10 large flour tortillas or corn tortillas for rolled enchiladas OR small tortillas for "enchilada bake"
• 300 grams or less goat cheese or cottage cheese (optional)
• 1/2  to 2 cups shredded cheese (mozarella, cheddar, monterey jack or a Tex Mex blend)
• salsa and/or hot sauce, sour cream or Greek yogurt or guacamole (optional for serving)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F convection or 400 degrees in a regular oven. If everything is well-heated through already 20 minutes in a 400 degree convection oven will melt the cheese and heat the tortillas.

Prepare baking dish: Spray bottom and sides of a large baking dish (I use a 9x13" clear Pyrex baking dish or lasagna pan) with canola oil, or whisk oil on with a basting brush. To ease clean-up you can line the pan with parchment paper before oiling.

Prepare Filling:

1. Use a large, deep frying pan or cast iron skillet.
2. Heat some oil in the pan, crumble the ground meat in the hot oil and cook until no longer pink. 
3. If you're using cooked, shredded meat you can add it after the onions and peppers are sauteed.
4. Add onions, garlic and peppers, cumin, cayenne or chili powder, ground coriander if using, stir until onions are translucent and peppers are getting tender.
5. Add tomatoes (with the liquid if canned, you can thicken with cornstarch later.)
6. Add canned beans if using.
7. Heat, stirring gently.
8. Season with salt to taste. 
9. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, take about 2 tablespoons of liquid from the pan and in a small dish, whisk in 1 Tbsp cornstarch. Add this to the meat and vegetables in the pan, stirring, to thicken the mixture.
10. If using fresh chopped cilantro or fresh sliced mushrooms, add now.
11. Stir in the goat cheese last to make a cheesy sauce (or you can dab it in chunks from the package on the tortilla filling just before baking.)
12. Turn heat to low to keep the filling warm while you fill the tortillas.

Using large tortillas to make rolled enchiladas:

1. Place the soft tortilla in the canola-oil sprayed baking dish (or on a large canola-oil sprayed plate) so that one side of the tortilla gets a little oil on it.
2. Spoon a line of filling down the centre of the tortilla, leaving empty space at the top bottom and edges.
3. Dab on some goat cheese, cottage cheese, or sprinkle on some shredded cheese if using.
4. Fold down the top and bottom of the tortilla, fold in one side, and roll.
5. Place the filled tortilla seam-side down in the prepared baking pan (or shove it to the side if rolling in the prepared pan.)
6. You may need to add a little more oil to the pan or plate as you work.
7. Continue until filling is used up and pan is full.
8. Sprinkle on grated cheese and squeeze on some hot sauce if you like your tortillas spicy.
9. Tent with foil (use enough foil so that the foil covers the pan but doesn't touch the tortillas, folding the foil so it has a tent-like peak in the centre, shiny side in.)
10. Bake in the preheated oven 20-30 minutes until you see some hot filling bubbling out of the tortillas, the cheese has melted and the tortillas are getting golden and a little crunchy-looking at the edges from the oil. If this isn't happening, remove the foil and let the top get golden.
11. Remove from oven.
12. Separate hot enchiladas with a spatula and plate to serve with a little salsa, hot sauce and sour cream or guacamole (mashed avocado) if desired.

If using small tortillas:

1. Line the oiled pan with a layer of tortillas, overlapping the edges to cover the bottom of the pan.
2. Spoon filling over the tortilla layer and spread to cover. Sprinkle some cheese on top.
3. Add another layer of tortillas, then filling and cheese, finishing with a layer of tortillas and a sprinkle of cheese.
4. Bake as for large tortillas until golden, then remove from oven and cut in squares to serve.

Beef Enchilada Bake "Pioneer Woman" Style (with Vegetarian option)

I once watched the Pioneer Woman make ranch-style enchiladas on her HGTV cooking show. I might not have written down the recipe exactly.

Note: whole tomatoes usually have better flavor, but if you don't have an immersion blender, you can use diced or crushed tomatoes.

Saute until onion is translucent and the garlic is browned:

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 medium diced onion
• 1 clove diced garlic

Add:

• 1-1/2 lbs ground beef OR 1-1/2 lbs vegetables like squash, bell peppers and/or mushrooms
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 small cans diced green chiles (optional, I didn't use them but I added 1 chopped jalapeno pepper)

Cook till meat is brown.

Take meat out of skillet and drain off grease.

Make red sauce:

In large cast iron skillet or saucepan, over medium low heat, whisk together:

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp flour

Increase heat to medium after adding:

• 1 28-oz. can enchilada sauce OR make your own using...
• 1 28-oz can tomato sauce OR 28 oz. can whole or diced tomatoes AND 1 Tbsp tomato paste , 1 Tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp cumin

If you use whole tomatoes, squish them down while cooking.

Add:

• 2 cups beef or chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• bottled hot sauce to taste

If you used whole tomatoes, pulse the mixture with an immersion blender in the pan.

Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer 30-45 minutes.

Put 1/2 cup of the prepared red sauce in bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Put cooked beef and onions back in the pan with the remaining simmering red sauce.

Keep warm on low heat.

Prepare Tortillas:

Soften by placing in microwave or by heating in hot canola oil in a pan, 30 seconds each side:

• 10-14 corn tortillas

In center of each tortilla, place some of:

• 3 cups grated cheese (sharp cheddar or monterey jack or mixture of both)
• 1 cup chopped black olives (optional)
• 1 cup chopped green onion (optional)
• chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Roll up filled tortillas.

Place rolled tortillas, seam side down,  in 9 x 13 inch baking pan on top of the red sauce.

Spoon the beef sauce over the cheese-filled tortillas, then pour over all.

Sprinkle more grated cheese on top, cover. 

(Refrigerate if not cooking immediately.)

To bake, put pan in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.

To serve, spoon on top:

• sour cream
• salsa*

*Salsa

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large baking sheet, place:

• halved Roma (plum) tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• onion
• jalapeno and poblano peppers halved, sliced lengthwise
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Oven roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until charred in spots.

Let cool 5 minutes, set aside.

• zest and juice 2 limes

Put oven-roasted vegetables, lime zest and juice in the food processor with;

• cilantro
• salt and pepper

Pulse salsa but leave chunky, pour in a bowl.

Cheese Enchiladas or Dinner Crepes made from Home-Made Pancakes

Use simple ingredients to make white flour tortillas out of a basic pancake batter.

Stir together the batter, fry in a little oil, make a filling, wrap or layer in a baking pan, grate a little cheese on top and heat in the oven.

If you have very little cheese, mix the filling with half a recipe of white sauce (bechamel sauce), and grate the little cheese you have on top. 

Experiment using ingredients you like and have on hand--for example, use steamed baby spinach in chicken-filled crepes, add olives to the filling for a Mediterranean flavour (but not if Dave is coming to dinner.)

Basic Flat Pancake or Crepe Batter

Whisk lightly in a bowl:

• 1 cup flour
• 3 large, beaten  eggs
• 2/3 cups milk

Heat a little hot canola or vegetable oil or melted butter in a flat, non-stick pan. Use a crepe pan if you have one.

Pour in enough batter to spread thinly to the edges of the pan.

If you are using a regular fry pan with high sides, do not pour in so much batter that it reaches the sides of the pan--make them smaller than the pan so you have room for your spatula to make an easy "flip."

 Flip the pancake when the edges start to curl up from the sides of the pan.

Remove from the pan with a spatula and flip onto a plate.

Continue to cook the rest of the batter, adding more oil as necessary.

Enchilada Crepe Variation

I haven't tried this because I'm always in a hurry and this is an extra step.

Make crepes as above and set aside. Then mix together:

• 1-1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• a shake of chili powder
• a shake of salt
• a shake of pepper

Pour a little more oil into your pan to preheat. 

One at a time, dip the cooked crepes in the seasoned milk and egg mixture, and re-fry briefly, browning both sides in oil. Set aside until all are cooked.

Filling

 In a pan with a tablespoon or less of hot oil, brown:

• 1 medium peeled, chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 cup diced, cooked meat (turkey, chicken, beef, cooked ground meat, or seafood like shrimp or crab.) Use 2 cups meat for crepes, or 1 cup meat and 1 cup steamed spinach.
• 6 medium diced tomatoes or 1 tin drained, diced tomatoes or 1/2 cup salsa sauce (omit for crepes)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (omit for crepes)
• other herbs and spices you like, to taste, for example, chopped parsley, marjoram, salt and pepper
• ground red pepper, dried chili pepper flakes (omit for crepes.)

To make Enchiladas:  heat together meat, tomatoes, herbs and spices.

For Crepes:  heat together meat, herbs and spices. Prepare 1 cup white sauce*. Add 1/2 cup white sauce to the meat mixture. Grate a little cheese into the remaining white sauce and set aside

*White Sauce:

In a small saucepan:

• melt 2 Tbsps butter
• whisk in 2 Tbsps flour
• add 1/4 tsp salt
• whisk in 1 cup milk

Whisk over medium heat till thickened.

Stir in grated cheese, like cheddar or parmesan, and a little grated black pepper, as desired.

Assembly:

4. Fill pancakes with the meat mixture.

If you are making enchiladas, grate a little Monterey Jack, cheddar, or mozzarella cheese on top of the meat, if you have some. Fold, put in a dish, sprinkle with cheese and keep warm in the oven till cheese is melted and it's serving time, or if the dish is small enough, microwave till heated through. If you have kept cooked pancakes warm while making the filling, you may only have to broil for a minute or two to melt any cheese toppings.

Drizzle warm crepes with remaining white sauce and keep warm in the oven till serving time.

Serve enchiladas with shredded cabbage or lettuce, sour cream, and a glass of Corona beer for the adults.

Serve crepes with a tossed salad and chilled white wine.

Zucchini and Corn Enchiladas

Meat or Seafood Option: Add 1 lb. cooked meat or fish or peeled and de-veined chopped shrimp when cooking the zucchini and reduce amount of zucchini to 2 small (24 oz.)instead of a pound and a half of zucchini.)

• mild green salsa, 1 15-oz jar
• 2 cups fresh cilantro, including stems, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 6  small zucchini (24 oz) OR 2 small zucchini if adding1 lb. meat or seafood)
• optional: 1 lb. cooked meat, fish or shrimp meat (optional)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
• 1/4 cup grated cotija cheese (substitute parmesan if necessary)
• 8 small yellow corn tortillas
• 2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
• chopped red onion, cilantro. sliced radishes and jalapeno, for serving.

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. 
   
3. In food processor, puree salsa and cilantro until smooth.
4. Add sour cream and pulse to combine.
5. Spread 1 cup of this mixture in an 11 x 7 inch baking dish.
6. Transfer remainder of the mixture to a medium bowl.
7. 
   
8. Cut zucchini in 1/4 inch pieces.
9. 
   
10. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high.
11. Add cut zucchini and cook 2 minutes.
12. Add cooked meat or fish or seafood (if using).
13. Season with coriander, chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt and cook, tossing, 1 minute.
14. Add garlic, cook, tossing, 1 minute.
15. Remove from heat and toss with corn and cotija cheese.
16. Wrap tortillas in double layer of damp paper towels.
17. Microwave on High until soft, about 1 minute.
18. Be careful of steam when removing.
19. Work with 1 tortilla at a time.
20. Dip each in reserved salsa mixture, shake off excess.
21. Place on parchment paper on cutting board.
22. Top with heaping 1/4 cup filling, roll up.
23. Place, seam side down, in baking dish.
24. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
25. Spoon any remaining salsa mixture on top.
26. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese
27. Bake until cheese begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
28. Serve topped with onion, mild sliced radishes and jalapeno.

Also see the recipe for Pumpkin Enchiladas in a separate post.