Anyone who’s had Tex-Mex in a restaurant knows that enchiladas are corn tortillas filled with something like cheese, chicken or beef and then served with a gravy and melted cheese, with the typical sides of refried beans, pico de gallo and Mexican rice pilaf. In this version we present a differently-organized enchilada casserole, which is much easier to make in a family setting.
For the beef filling we use my Texas chili recipe. Truly any Mexican / Tex-Mex taco filling might be used to good effect, including chicken tinga, chicken in tomatillo salsa, etc. The filling is layered with corn tortillas in a casserole dish, along with shredded cheese.
Leftovers come back very well in the microwave or regular oven. Unbaked enchilada casseroles may be frozen and then baked later. They can be made just about any size, too, using freezer-to-oven dishes or large casserole dishes.
Makes enough for 4 people, or more depending on casserole size.
Equipment:
• oven-proof casserole dish
• ladle
• box grater
• baking sheet
Ingredients:
100-200 g melting cheese grated
1-2 cup Texas chili or other filling
8+ ea corn tortillas do not use flour tortillas
onion diced, for optional garnish
Procedure:
1. If the enchilada is to go into the oven, preheat it to 350F.
2. Cut a strip off the side of one or more tortillas to fit the bottom of the casserole dish.
3. Line the dish with the tortillas and their cut-off strips to make one layer; don’t worry about full coverage. Overlapping the tortillas very much is a bad idea.
4. Fill with a thin layer of the filling, crushing any cubes of meat.
5. Sprinkle on a thin layer of shredded cheese.
6. Trim more tortillas to make another layer.
7. Apply more filling to the tortillas, and more cheese, and another layer of tortillas.
8. Do this until the dish is as full as you would like it to be, ending with a very thin layer of filling, or no filling at all, and cheese last.
9. Do not mound the enchilada up over the edges of the dish.
10. Place the dish on a baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, or possibly longer depending on the size of the enchilada.
11. Some cheeses will only get toasty and bubbly under a broiler; if you choose to broil your cheese be very careful.
12. Enjoy carefully! Hot enchilada can be dangerous.
13. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for a week or so, or in the freezer for longer.
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