New Mexican Stacked Enchiladas Food

STACKED BEEF ENCHILADAS (AKA MEXICAN LASAGNA)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and the baking soda. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Let sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes.
• While the beef sits, prepare the sauce. Set an oven rack about 5 inches beneath the heating element and preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Toss the tomatoes, onions, and garlic with the vegetable oil directly on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until softened and charred, 12 to15 minutes (if the vegetables are browning too quickly, give them a quick stir with a rubber spatula). Transfer the vegetables and juices to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper and pulse until just slightly chunky. Add the cilantro and pulse until the cilantro is chopped. Set the sauce aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently and breaking into pieces, until just slightly pink, about 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes more, or until cooked through.
• To assemble: Preheat oven to 350°F and move the oven rack to the center position. Lightly oil a 9x13-in glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Set aside 1 cup of the sauce for the top of the casserole. (You want to ensure that you have enough to cover the top layer of tortillas, otherwise they won't cook through.)
• Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with a layer of tortillas, overlapping them slightly. Spoon half of the beef (and any juices) over the tortillas. Top with half of the sauce and ⅓ of the cheese. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, the remaining beef, remaining sauce, and ⅓ of the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas. Spread the reserved sauce over the tortillas and cover completely. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over top. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is completely melted.
• Note: Chipotle chili powder is smoky and hot and makes this dish a little spicy. For a milder dish, replace the chipotle chili powder with ancho chili powder, which isn't as hot.
• MAKE-AHEAD/FREEZER-FRIENDLY INSTRUCTIONS: The casserole can be prepared ahead of time, tightly covered with foil, and refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to 3 months before baking (if frozen, defrost in the refrigerator before cooking). It can also be fully baked, tightly covered with foil, and refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat: defrost if necessary and heat the covered casserole in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until hot. If you'd rather reheat individual servings, small portions can be zapped in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

NEW MEXICO STACKED ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brown ground beef and onion in a fry pan until done. Drain excess grease, stir in the Hatch Green chile and set aside.
• In a fry pan, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. The oil should be hot enough that the tortillas bubbles as its lowered into the oil. Fry corn tortillas one at a time 30 seconds each. Place tortillas on a plate that's been lined with a paper towel. Place another paper towel on top of the tortillas as you cook them to help keep them warm.
• To build the enchiladas. In an oven proof dishes, I use my Comal, place one tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup ground beef and 1/4 cup New Mexico Red Chile Sauce and a good sprinkle of the shredded cheese and fresh tomato. Place a tortilla on top of of that and another layer of the ingredients. Place the third tortilla on top and sprinkle with cheese and sauce. Use three tortillas for each stack.
• In the meantime, fry two eggs until over easy.
• Bake or broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately topped with more fresh tomato, chopped lettuce and fried egg. If you want add a dollop of sour cream to the top and diced raw onions (after baking)
• This served the two of us with plenty of leftovers.

NEW MEXICO-STYLE STACKED ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Place enchilada sauce in a small saucepan and cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Cook tortillas, one at a time, until just starting to change color, but are still limp and pliable, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Pour all but 2 tablespoons oil from skillet to a heat-proof bowl; discard when cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil in skillet off heat.
• Dip one tortilla in warm enchilada sauce, so that sauce lightly coats both sides. Place tortilla on an oven-safe plate or baking sheet. Spoon about 2 tablespoons sauce over tortilla, then sprinkle with about 3 tablespoons cheese. Dip a second tortilla in warm enchilada sauce, so that sauce lightly coats both sides. Layer tortilla on top of first tortilla on plate or baking sheet. Spoon another 2 tablespoons sauce over tortilla, then sprinkle with another 3 tablespoons cheese. Repeat process with remaining tortillas, sauce, and cheese so that you have 4 total enchilada stacks. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 7 to 9 minutes.
• While enchiladas are baking, heat reserved 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium. Add 2 eggs to oil in skillet; season with half of salt. Cook eggs until desired degree of doneness, about 2 to 3 minutes per side for over-easy. Transfer to a plate once cooked; set aside. Repeat with remaining eggs and salt.
• When cheese is melted, remove enchiladas from oven. Top each stack with one egg and garnish evenly with cilantro, tomato, onion, and lettuce.

NEW MEXICAN STACKED ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Red Chile Sauce:.
• Heat 2 tablespoons shortening in medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for one minute (don't stop stirring).
• Add Chile powder and cook for an additional minute.
• Gradually add water and stir, making sure that no lumps form.
• Add seasonings to sauce and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
• Enchiladas:.
• 350 degree fahrenheit oven.
• Heat 1/2 inch of shortening in heavy pan at medium-high heat.
• Quickly dip each tortilla into the shortening to soften. Drain on absorbent towels.
• Assemble the enchiladas by placing 1/4 cup sauce (as base for each tortilla) in an oven-proof dish or plate, followed by a tortilla. Another 1/4 cup sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, and some onion. Repeat twice. Top with remaining sauce.
• Place in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
• Top with a fried egg and garnish with lettuce to serve.
• *To make your own Chile Powder: 16 dried New MexicoRed Chile pods, stems removed. Place 2-3 pods in a blender and finely grind them on low speed. Add more pods until the lower portion of the jar is full. Empty container and continue to process until all pods are ground. *Note: The more seeds you leave in the pods the hotter your chile power will be.

ENCHILADAS ROJAS, RED CHILE ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Prep the chile sauce. Start by taking the stems off and opening the chiles to shake out the seeds. Flatten them as best you can. Heat a cast iron skillet or better yet, a Mexican comal over high heat. When it is blazing hot, toast the chiles. Press them down with a spatula for just a couple seconds: When they blister, flip them and do the other side. Remove to a bowl.
• When all the chiles have been toasted, char the quartered onion and the garlic cloves on the comal or skillet. You want some blackening. The garlic cloves will blacken first, so watch them.
• Now that you have everything smoky and charred, tear the chiles in pieces. Chop the onion. Peel the garlic. Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chiles, onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Pour in the stock, add the cumin and oregano and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste and simmer gently until the chiles are soft, about 20 minutes.
• Puree the sauce in a blender. This sauce can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge.
• Make the filling. Cut the meat into pieces about the size of your fingernail. Salt well. Mix with about 1/4 cup of the red chile sauce, the chopped sage as well as about 5 ounces of cheese and the minced white onion.
• Prep the tortillas. Heat the tortillas on a comal or other heavy skillet until they blacken a little. Then put them in a tortilla warmer, or stack on a plate and put a bowl over them. Let them steam a few minutes before building the enchiladas.
• Build the enchiladas. Pour a little red chile sauce into a casserole dish. Dip a tortilla in the red chile sauce briefly and shake off the excess. Fill a tortilla with a little of the filling and roll it up. Place seam-side down on the casserole. Repeat until you're done. You should get about 15 tortillas.
• Pour more red chile sauce over the enchiladas and top with lots of the shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes and serve.

NEW MEXICO STYLE GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13x3-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil. Once shimmering add the onion and sauté, while stirring constantly, until translucent and the sides of the onion begin to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour the onion mixture into a large mixing bowl along with the shredded chicken, cream soups, green chile sauce, cumin, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
• Lay 4 corn tortillas into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread 1/3 of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, followed by 1 cup of the cheese, and 1/3 of the tomatoes and green onion. Continue this layering of tortillas, chicken mixture, cheese, tomatoes and green onion 2 more times, but on the last layer DO NOT ADD THE CHEESE! Instead, just layer the tomatoes and green onions on top of the chicken mixture.
• Mix together the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and chopped fresh oregano, and set it aside for later.
• Cover the green chile enchilada casserole with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Take the foil off and then layer the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Let the enchiladas stand for 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve with chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, chopped oregano, shredded lettuce, and/or sour cream (all optional).

STACKED ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• In a small frying pan, brown then drain the ground beef.
• In a small sauce pot, heat enchilada sauce.
• In another sauce pot, combine the black beans and corn. Cover and heat.
• I like to warm the tortillas in the microwave then put them in one of those handy plastic tortilla warmers. It's just better when they're warm and soft. (If you really want to go all out, try making your own tortillas with masa mix. You just add water and they taste sooooo much better!).
• Now just make an assembly line. I usually have the two sauce pans on the front burners and the rest on paper plates to the side. Pile on in this order: tortilla, meat, bean/corn combo, sauce, cheese. Repeat so you have two layers. Yummy and quick!
• Some other good toppings include sour cream, guacamole and olives.

NEW MEXICAN STYLE FLAT ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Set up a mise en place with the tortillas, onions, and cheese, next to the stove.
• Heat the enchilada sauce in a frying pan on medium heat.
• Heat one tortilla in the enchilada sauce until warm. Do not leave in the sauce for more than a minute or it will fall apart.
• Stack the tortilla on a plate.
• Add a sprinkle of onions and cheese on top of the tortilla.
• Repeat until you have a stack of 2-3 tortillas.
• Fry an egg and put on top of the stack.
• Serve with shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes.

ENCHILADAS - NEW MEXICO STYLE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces, and cook until browned. Season with cumin and chili powder. Pour in the enchilada sauce, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• In a separate skillet over medium heat, warm the tortillas. Don't fry them, just warm them until they are flexible.
• To assemble the enchiladas, dip a tortilla in the enchilada sauce, and place it on a serving plate. Spoon some of the meat and sauce on, then add shredded lettuce, cheese, onion and sour cream. Top with another tortilla that has been dipped in the sauce. You may repeat the layering as many times as you wish depending on your appetite. Make additional stacks for each person. Top stacks with a fried egg, if desired.

TRADITIONAL NEW MEXICO RED CHILE CHEESE "STACKED" ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Each serving will contain 3 corn tortillas. Take the tortilla and dip it in hot oil or dip it in the red chile sauce and put on plate. Top this with cheese and onion and more sauce and put another dipped tortilla on top and repeat this 2 times. Heat in the oven or under the broiler until cheese melts and top with a fried egg. Garnish the plate with the lettuce and tomato. You can serve this with fried potatoes or pinto beans.
• To make a casserole, you can layer the above in a baking dish with the final layer on top being cheese, do not put eggs on the casserole. Bake for about 20 minutes, until all is warm and melted. Garnish with lettuce and tomato. Can also serve with sour cream, chopped olives and guacamole.
• Remove the stems and seeds of the chile pods. Soak the pods in water or simmer on stove for about 10 minutes. Place chile and garlic in a blender with 1/4 cup water and puree until smooth. (Use 6 to 8 pods of chile and 2 cloves of garlic at a time, which will make the puree smoother and easier to work with.) Add more water as needed to get a medium consistency. In a sauce pan, add pureed chile with Mexican Oregano and salt to taste. Bring to a slow boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes. Pork can be browned and added to sauce while simmering.