OK, today I am going to share with you how to make my absolute favorite Tex-Mex food ever. I love cheese enchiladas, and when they're topped with chili con carne....oh my goodness. The creamy, melty cheese...oozing from soft corn tortillas...smothered in spicy chili con carne...it doesn't get any better than that.
It's very simple and easy. The first thing you need to do is make some Texas chili, and my dad's recipe is the best (see link). Remember, there are no beans in Texas chili!! :) Chili con carne means "chili with meat." It is not chili con carne y frijoles.
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| My dad's Texas chili |
These enchiladas are perfect to make if you have already made some Texas chili and have leftovers. Either freeze the chili and reheat it on the day you want to make enchiladas, or just make them the next day. I generally do not make the chili and enchiladas on the same day because the chili has to cook for a while, and if I'm assembling enchiladas for the whole family, it just takes too long. So, get out your Texas chili and heat it up.
The enchiladas are easy. Time-consuming (depending on how many you make), but easy! Start with some good corn tortillas (not flour!!). Heat a little oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is nice and hot, fry your tortillas, one or two at a time, (you can stack two and fry them together) for about 4-5 seconds per side. The oil should be hot enough to bubble up when you add the tortilla. Don't fry them too long - you're not making tortilla chips. You want them nice and soft and pliable.
Frying the tortilla in oil for just a few seconds makes them nice and soft and gives them an incredible flavor.
NOTE: Yes, you can heat your tortillas covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave, but I don't recommend it. Frying them adds so much flavor and they won't taste the same microwaved.
After frying your tortillas, just transfer to a plate in a stack. When they're cool enough to handle, lay some grated cheddar cheese down the middle, top with a bit of diced, sweet yellow onion, and roll up. Place the rolled tortillas in a baking dish.
Smother with steaming hot Texas chili, sprinkle with a little more cheese and chopped onion. Bake in 400 oven for about 12 minutes, until cheese is all melted.
It's easy to adjust the quantity of enchiladas you make. I only made two because I'm eating lunch alone. Enjoy!
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I was reared in Waco, Tx. and this recipe is what I grew up on to which my cardiologist will attest. I prefer shredded white American cheese inside the rolled tortillas to get a more gooey texture and chopped green chilies adds something inside too. Cheddar is fine on top and reconstituted dried chopped onions will work also. Cheese enchiladas with “chili gravy” have been taking over the restaurant world and are an abomination. Real chili con carne is essential to the dish and increasingly hard to find unless you make them yourself.
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