According to the NYTimes Cooking article where we found this recipe, enchiladas are an essential component of Houston’s ebullient, dynamic foodways. Mexican in origin, while distinctly Tex-Mex at the same time, the dish adapts to its surroundings. Each enchilada recipe is deeply local: The style ubiquitous in Monterrey, Mexico, will be different from those found in San Antonio or El Paso or Mexico City.
But from enchilada to enchilada, the common denominator is deliciousness. In “The Enchilada Queen Cookbook,” Sylvia Casares notes, “for Tex-Mex-style cheese enchiladas, yellow cheese, such as Cheddar, is the traditional choice” yielding “the quintessential Tex-Mex enchilada.”
Options: Buy a rotisserie chicken, shred it and add a quarter cup meat to each tortilla along with the cheese. To make it vegetarian, swap out the beef broth for vegetable broth, Better Than Bullion is a good brand. As an extra topping, add pickled jalapeños.
Puritans implore you NOT to use flour tortillas. Well, that was our only option at the supermarket (surprisingly), so instead of the listed corn tortillas, we went with the flour ones. They don’t crack like the corn versions, and turned out fine. Just saying, use what you feel comfortable doing. Ours was only a package of 8 instead of 10, but they fit the casserole dish just fine, and we had extra cheese to top them with.
NOTE: You want ground dried chiles, not chili powder, which includes other spices and salt. The choice of mild, medium or hot chile powder is up to you, but avoid using chipotle chile powder, which can end up bitter.
Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. neutral oil, such as canola, plus more for greasing
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp. ground red chile powder (see Tip)
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 cups beef broth
- Salt
- 10 corn tortillas
- 1 lb. shredded cheddar (5 cups)
- ½ cup finely diced white onion
- Fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch shallow baking dish or pan or a very large cast-iron skillet.
- Add the oil and flour to a medium skillet. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture (known as roux) turns a golden color, smells nutty and thickens, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add garlic, chile powder, cumin, oregano and black pepper to the roux. Whisk until smooth (some clumping from the garlic is fine), being careful to not let the spices burn, about 30 seconds.
- While whisking constantly, add beef broth ¼ cup at a time, whisking after each addition, until smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, whisking occasionally, for 10 minutes. Then remove from heat, and allow the gravy to rest for another 10 minutes. Taste the gravy and season with salt as needed for a savory sauce.
- Meanwhile, in another pan, lightly heat a tortilla over medium just until softened, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel or sheet of foil and wrap. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, stacking them in the towel or foil. Be careful of overcooking: You’re softening each tortilla to prevent them from cracking as they’re filled and folded.
- Fill a softened tortilla with about ⅓ cup of cheese. Roll shut and, with the seam side facing downward, place in the greased baking dish or skillet. Repeat until you’ve filled all of the tortillas, setting the rolls next to each other.
- Slowly pour the gravy over all of the tortillas to coat. Afterward, sprinkle the dish with the rest of the cheese and the diced onion.
- Bake until the gravy is bubbling and the cheese melted, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley, if desired, alongside a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Recipe from Bryan Washington for NYTimes Cooking
Accounting for Taste 