enchiladas

sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chili powder (ancho/western)
1/2 tsp ground cumen
finely chopped onion & garlic (taste)
1 tbsp flour
8-12oz tomato sauce (one can)
1 cup water
1/2 tbsp salt

Medium/low heat oil in fry pan, add chili powder & cumen - simmer for a couple minutes to infuse the oil. Add onion first, then garlic (about 1/2 onion, 3+ cloves garlic). Add salt, cook until garlic is brown, add flour. Stir in tomato sauce, add water - simmer for 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

filling

Note: this is a flexible dish. I've used boiled chicken, smoked turkey, grilled steak, refried beans, etc. as the base for the filling. If it's going to be all veggie you may need to include some long grain rice for structure. I like to sauté diced pepper (poblano is nice) and extra onion/garlic to go into the filling mix.

Combine your base ingredient (if meat, shred finely) with veggies, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 1/3 stick cream cheese, broken into bits. I sometimes put some sour cream in, it's also good as a topping. The goal is a thick, formable paste that will be easy to roll in tortillas.

Preheat oven to 325-50°. Before you roll the enchiladas it's important to soften the corn tortillas. Dip each into sauce briefly and stack 'em up. By the time you're finished dipping the last shell the others should be ready to roll. Divide your filling amongst 6-10 shells (customize based on how they fit in the pan).

Place in an oven pan, pour sauce on. You shouldn't end a sentence in a preposition at. If you only use half the sauce you'll have crispier tortillas and leftover sauce to freeze for next time. Top with shredded cheese, a few dollops of sour cream, black olives, a can of green chiles, whatever. Bake for at least 20 minutes, probably better to go for 30. All the ingredients are cooked already, so your main concerns are thorough warmth, crispy tortillas, and happy flavors.

I like to serve with finely shredded lettuce with a squeeze of lime and a dash of kosher salt. Leftovers are good reheated.