Homemade Cheese and Onion Enchiladas
Homemade Enchiladas Sauce can be a complicated process involving dried chilies and some patience. This recipe is a simplified version that you will love! Most likely, you already have most (if not all) the ingredients you need in your pantry. In minutes, you’ll have an enchilada sauce that tastes delicious. I use this sauce when I have a craving for Homemade Cheese Enchiladas (recipe included).
I love Mexican food, no doubt about it! There are time when I crave enchiladas, and I prefer to make mine at home. Making my own enchilada sauce means I can control how much spicy heat I want (and my palate needs “mild’). This sauce comes together in a matter of minutes, and is very similar to my popular post for Texas Chili Gravy.
You won’t need to buy canned enchilada sauce once you try making this easy recipe for homemade enchilada sauce. I promise!
You’ll need basic pantry ingredients: oil, flour, chili powder, cumin, tomato sauce and fresh garlic.
In a saucepan, heat the oil, flour and spices until just simmering. Add tomato sauce and cook until it thickens. From start to finish, it takes no more than 10 minutes!
Voila! Now that there’s enchilada sauce– let’s make some easy cheesy enchiladas!
Sure, one can buy pre-shredded cheese for a handy shortcut. However, I’ve found that shredding block cheese makes for a “meltier” end result (pre-shredded has additives to keep the cheese from sticking). Here, I’ve shredded both Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar cheese. How much? About 3 cups, total (we do love our cheese).
Here’s the prep station: a casserole dish with a thin layer of enchilada sauce (so they don’t stick). Corn tortillas, softened with a wet paper towel in the microwave (makes them pliable), and minced onion.
Dip each corn tortilla in the sauce, then fill it with cheese and onion (the onion is optional, of course). LIKEWISE: For a shortcut, the tortillas can be laid flat, as a single layer, and then just spread the cheese and onions. Repeat– like making a lasagna.
Spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas
Top with the remaining cheese (I tend to be very generous with the cheese.) and sprinkle with onion (if desired).
Cover with foil and bake at 350F for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and baking for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Mmmmm. Our kitchen smells like a Mexican cantina. This casserole needs to rest for a few minutes before diving in.
Instead of making Mexican rice and refried beans (both of which I love), I opted for a green salad with a cilantro-lime salad dressing.
TASTING NOTES: Plated, this isn’t the prettiest dish, I know. Taste-wise, my Mexican food craving was fed. The enchilada sauce is mild (the way I like it). The enchiladas were restaurant worthy. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s not only quick to make– it reheats beautifully. These also freeze really well, before baking. That makes this a great make ahead meal, too.
Quick and Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ vegetable oil or canola
- 2 Tbs flour
- 3 Tbs chili powder
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 ounce
- 1 cup chicken broth vegetable broth works, too
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced (3 cloves)
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Cheese Enchiladas
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese grateed
- 1 small onion finely minced
- sour cream garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the enchiladas sauce
- Mix together the chili powder and flour. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, or bowl, whisk the tomato sauce and the rest of the ingredients. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, on medium heat, bring the oil until hot.
- Add the chili powder/flour mixture and whisk (or stir) until blended. Cook the mixture until the red color begins to turn brown.
- Add the liquid mixture, whisking until fully blended.
- Cook until thickened (about 8-10 minutes.)
- Once cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container up to a week.
For the enchiladas:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Wrap the corn tortillas in a wet paper towel or clean kitchen cloth for 45-60seconds. This makes the tortillas more pliable for rolling.
- In a casserole dish, ladle an thin, even, layer of sauce on the bottom.
- Take one tortillas and fill the center with about 2 Tbsp. of cheese and about 1-2 tsp of onion. Don't over fill the tortilla. Roll the tortilla and place in the casserole dish, seam side down.
- NOTE: You can take a shortcut by placing a layer of corn tortillas, flat, on top of the bottom layer of enchiladas sauce. Then, evenly spread a layer of cheese and onion, and repeat with a second layer of tortillas, cheese and onion. The final layer should be the remaining sauce and onion.
- Once the dish is filled with the enchiladas. evenly pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas.Top with remaining cheese and (optional) any remaining onion.
- Cover the enchiladas with foil and bake the enchiladas for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for about 5 minutes– until the cheese are bubbling and melted.
- Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes and serve. Garnish with sour cream, if desired.
Notes
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