Enchiladas

If you went to college with me or eat at my house often, chances are that I've made enchiladas for you. This is a recipe that I grew up with. I didn't know that other kids in my town didn't have Mexican food on a regular basis. That's what you get with a momma from California. She exposed me to Mexican food because she cooked it in our home with what was available in Tennessee during the 1980's. Those good ol' Old El Paso brand products still exist!

Recently, I went to a BBQ and came home with a whole smoked chicken and a Boston Butt. While I enjoy BBQ, frozen cooked meat doesn't freeze well on its own. In order not to waste this delicious smoked meat, I put parts of the porker and chicken into enchiladas. They freeze well, and after they cool off, I wrap 2 at a time in plastic wrap. Then I wrap the pair in aluminum foil and label them. Later on, just pull them out, unwrap both layers, throw them in the microwave for a few minutes. There you have a fast and filling lunch in a hurry.

Red Sauce Enchiladas
1 pkg of 10 taco size flour tortillas ( I like Ole brand)
2 cans ( 10 oz each) red enchilada sauce (Old El Paso brand*) Wal-mart carries mild, med and hot varieties. I like medium. Watch what you buy!
1 lb ground beef OR ground turkey OR shredded pork- cooked and drained
1 8 oz brick of Monterey Jack cheese -grated
1 8 oz brick of extra sharp Cheddar - grated

I have found that 1 lb of meat and the above amounts of cheese and sauce are just right when evenly divided by 10. I have begun to decrease my cheese a little and small handful leftover is fine, too.
Make sure you have an ample amount of counter space to use for the assembly process. Spray 1 9x11 baking dish with Pam. Preheat oven to 350. Down the middle of each tortilla, place a strip of 3-4 TBSP of meat, a small handful of each cheese and 1 TBSP of red sauce. Roll it up and place in the greased baking dish. When all 10 are rolled up in the dish, pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Use a spoon or butter knife to run in between each enchilada. You want sauce to go between each enchilada. If not, later on they will be more difficult to remove from the pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes. The closer to 35 minutes, the crispier the enchilada.


Green Enchiladas
1 lb or more shredded chicken
2 cans (10oz each) Green enchilada sauce
1 8 oz brick of Monterey Jack cheese -grated
1 8 oz brick of extra sharp Cheddar - grated

Follow directions from above.