Enchiladas are one of the first dishes I ever made for a group of people.  I mean, cheese, tortillas and sauce.  It doesn’t get much easier.  Not to mention, who ever says no to tortillas wrapped around gooey, melted cheese, covered in a sauce made of chilis?

With my massive amount of cheese and trusty Las Palmas enchilada sauce, they were devoured in no time.  They made an appearance at every party and every potluck, until I finally became bored with them.

So now, years later, craving a really great homemade enchilada, I decided to ditch the canned sauce and change-up the flavors of this versatile dish.  You can make traditional enchilada sauce that involves multiple steps and quite a bit of time or you can go the quick route for something just as tasty.  Once you realize how easy good enchilada sauce can be, you’ll never buy the canned stuff again.

You start by making a roux with vegetable oil and flour, you then add whatever spice you like and you’re half way there.

I

At first, it may look like a big clump mess, but once you start adding in the chicken broth and tomato sauce, it’ll turn to silk.

For this recipe, I went with onion, cheese and rotisserie chicken for the filling.  While my sauce is cooking, I caramelize my onion and fry my tortillas.

The key to easy enchiladas, is a good assembly line.  Once all your components are finished, putting these together is a breeze.

Coat the bottom of your pan with a nice layer of sauce and start filling!  You’ll notice mine are a little full but you don’t have to use as much filling.  I just tend to overdo everything, especially when it comes to cheese.

Once you’ve rolled all your tortillas, cover everything with a nice helping of sauce, making sure to really get the ends.  They’ll curl up if you don’t have enough sauce covering them.

Top with as much cheese as you like, which in my case is A LOT.  Put them in the oven and enjoy a couple of beers until the cheese starts to bubble.

You’ll want to let them sit for a bit before serving.  The sauce and cheese are like lava, so you’ll need to be patient.  It’s all worth it though, because these are truly satisfying and delicious.  You’ll want more as soon as you’re hungry again.  Luckily, I normally make at least 12 and there’s usually only 2 of us, so it’s enchiladas for days!

Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas (Heavy on the Cheese)

Makes 12 Enchiladas

• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 16 oz. jack cheese shredded
• 8 oz. aged white cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced (caramelized or raw)
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil (plus more for frying tortillas)
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon chipotle chili powder (*only if you like spicy)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 15 oz. canned tomato sauce

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour.

Turn up a little to medium high and make sure to constantly whisk the flour so it doesn’t burn.  Add the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried cumin, dried oregano, salt and chipotle pepper (if using).  Whisk into the roux until everything is combined.

Then add, the chicken broth, tomato sauce and honey.  Whisk everything together until smooth.  Bring sauce to a simmer and let it thicken and reduce.  Once you have a gravy like consistency, turn the heat to medium low and let it sit.

In another pan, heat about 1/4 inch oil over medium high heat.  Once the oil is hot, fry each tortilla on one side.  Make sure you fry it just long enough to make it pliable.  You don’t want to make the tortillas crisp or it may break.  After frying the one side, lay the fried side down on a paper towel covered plate.  Be gentle, so the tortilla doesn’t rip.  Continue frying the tortillas and laying them fried side down on top of one another.

For you assembling station, make sure to have your shredded cheeses, shredded chicken, caramelized onion and tortillas in a row.

Spread some of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Begin rolling the enchiladas, by placing some of each cheese, the chicken and caramelized onion in the uncooked side of the tortilla.  Just make sure not to overfill or the tortilla will tear.  Once it is rolled, place the enchilada, seam side down in the baking dish.  Continue rolling until you are finished.

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas until they are covered, making sure to heavily sauce the open ends.  Sprinkle the top with as much cheese as you like and they’re ready to go.

After 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven, you will have amazing enchiladas.