I make good enchiladas.
Lloyd thinks I make great enchiladas, and what that means is: He likes enchiladas but seldom gets them. I occasionally make them, so he thinks they are great.
I haven’t made them in forever, so when I bought this sauce at Wal-Mart, it looked….. wrong. It definitely wasn’t the brand I normally buy, but I can’t remember what the old brand was. (Drat my terrible memory.) It definitely wasn’t this, though.
This stuff was all wrong. It’s more watery and less tomato-y. More spicy and less not-so-spicy. More ‘Lloyd will think I’m a mere mortal when it comes to enchiladas and now I’ve lost my bargaining chip’ and less ‘Lauren is awesome’.
Lloyd found out the secret to the enchiladas, which is: you make them.
I made him help this time:
- Dice up part of an onion and saute it in oil for a while.
- Drain a couple of big cans of chicken (yes, canned chicken) and dump in pan.
- Pour half a can of enchilada sauce (preferably that other brand) and smash up the chicken.
- Grate some cheddar cheese.
- Pour a little sauce in the bottom of a baking pan so it doesn’t stick.
- Assemble: Flour tortilla (I don’t like corn), scoop of chicken, sprinkle of cheese, roll, put in pan.
- When all rolled, pour other can of sauce over top, sprinkle with cheese and any leftover chicken.
- Bake at 350 for half an hour or so.
Lloyd seemed disillusioned as we worked.
Lloyd: “This is it?”
Lauren: “This is it.”
Lloyd: “Huh.”
The magic – it is gone.
Brad says
I’d be curious to know your regular brand. I thought Old El Paso was the number one choice of Americans cooking Mexican food.
Peggy says
I don’t make enchiladas, but I do make tacos. I think I use McCormick mix. I’ll have to look when I go home. I’m pretty sure I don’t like Old El Paso either.
And don’t worry Lauren…Lloyd will always think you’re magical…because you are, right?
another sue says
I use the canned chicken too. Would you like to know the spices I add to the mix? Might reintroduce some of the magic? I was taught by a gal who grew up in E.l Pa.so, T.x., think she knew some of which she taught.
Lauren says
Cough it up, Sue. Well, not literally….. but tell us the spices!
another sue says
OK, I looked for the recipe -- had a tour of the house, as one of the recipe boxes was in the basement in the room I hang out in during the winter -- then the recipe wasn’t in that box anyway. (But if you need a recipe for pickled pigs feet, or a gingerbread that starts with chicken fat -- do ask -- I’m here for you.) At any rate, this is not so much a recipe as a process:
Fry onion, garlic, & green pepper together in some oil. Add chicken & hot sauce (I use salsa and omit the earlier frying of veggie step unless I have veggies that are going to rot if unused.) (Here comes the part I actually promised!) Season with ground coriander, tarragon, pepper, salt (optional) & celery seed. Fry corn tortillas in hot oil (so they are soft), put chicken mixture & grated cheese inside tortillas, roll up & put into pan. Cover with more cheese & enchilada sauce, bake in oven until cheese melts. Serve w/sour cream if desired. (Thanks Pat!)
I mostly mix up the chicken mixture, plate it, (fancy, eh?), toss some grated cheese on top, nuke it (less fancy, more real), and call it good. And I do not use the salt or the pepper, just celery seed, coriander, and tarragon. If I had to guess, I think it is the coriander that makes a difference. Enjoy!
Lauren says
I like the way you cook. That sounds fabulous, and I’m trying it next time. I’ve never cooked with coriander, but if memory serves -- tarragon smells/tastes like licorice? That might be a dealbreaker.
another sue says
I’ve never noticed the licorice taste with the tarragon. I browsed online to see how it is described and darned if one site didn’t say that it has an anise-like flavor. Huh! But then as I read on, lots of their descriptions referred to licorice-like tastes -- even dill. So, I’d just say get a bit from someone who uses it and try it. Flavor only part of the mix with it and if you don’t like it, you’ll know not to go buy it. Lots of people grow tarragon. It’s supposed to be easy to grow. I wouldn’t know as the squirrels chew mine off as soon as it gets above ground. Perhaps it is an indoor herb? Yeah, that must be it.