Old Fashioned Enchilada Food

AUTHENTIC ENCHILADA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place chile peppers on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven until slightly toasted. (Note: When you can smell them, they're done.)
• Remove from the oven and slit them open. Remove the seeds and veins, then put them in a bowl with boiling water to cover. Allow them to sit for 30 minutes, then remove them from the water, reserving the water. Scrape the pulp from the insides of the chile peppers and discard the skins. (Note: The skins will give the mixture a bitter flavor.) Return the pulp to the water and set aside for later.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in the butter or margarine for 5 minutes, or until onion is tender. Add the flour and mix well. Add the stock, stirring until thickened, and then add the reserved chile pulp mixture. Finally, add the oregano and the cumin.
• In a blender or food processor, puree the mixture until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

OLD FASHIONED ENCHILADA RECIPE

Steps:

• Take a large pan and heat up to medium high and add the ground beef. Brown the ground beef and use a potato masher to help chop up the ground beef into small pieces. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning .
• When the ground beef is browned, add the chili powder (or mild bueno red chili), cumin, and oregano. Brown for a minute or two longer and stir into the beef.
• Add one cup of vegetable oil and the flour. Stir in well and brown for a few more minutes until the flour has had a chance to cook a bit. Then add in the water and stir on medium to medium high heat until it thickens up. You may need to add in a little more water if it becomes too thick.
• Give it a taste at this point and if it needs a little more salt, you can add more to taste. I also tend to add a little more cumin and chili powder too if it isn't as seasoned as I like so feel free to experiment with the flavor to make it a bit richer.
• Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer a bit while you fry up the tortillas.
• Add one cup of oil to a separate frying pan and heat up the oil to medium high. Fry the tortillas up and set each one on a paper towel and layer them to remove excess oil. We do both corn and and flour and some like them crispy and some like them soft. I prefer soft corn so I dip them in the hot oil and fry each side for 10-15 seconds and then drain. My husband prefers the flour tortillas and he likes his crispy so try experimenting to see what you prefer. Either way, they are so good!
• You will also want to chop up the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, grate the cheese or use pre-shredded cheese and set those out in bowls so everyone can make their own enchilada. We also put out salsa and sour cream.
• Start with the tortilla of choice on the bottom then add the enchilada meat sauce, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and top with sour cream. (You can leave off anyone of these items if you don't like them too! It's all up to you! It's made almost like a tostada!
• This is a super easy and fast recipe that feeds a large crowd and one that we have often with my husbands family.

SALSA ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• In 13x9x2 baking dish pour small layer of Salsa over the bottom of dish.
• Bowl mix cottage cheese,1 cup cheddar cheese, green onion and olives.
• Take about 1/4 cup of mixture and place inside a tortilla.
• Roll up and place in dish on top of salsa.
• Finish all the rest the same.
• Pour the rest of Salsa over the top of filled enchiladas.
• Add remaining cheese on top of enchiladas.
• Bake covered at 375 for 20-25 minutes.