Cheese Enchiladas

I was decompressing in front of the TV a couple of nights ago after I got home from work and mindlessly found myself involved in a car commercial. The question posed by the commercial was, “Do you remember your first car?” I thought for a moment and then started to snicker to myself.

Yes, indeedy, I remember my first car—or at least the first car that my dad gave me to drive. It was a tricky car to drive because it essentially ran on gasoline and prayers. I learned many lessons about car maintenance with that old bomb. It used to break down a lot and didn’t mind stopping in the middle of rush hour traffic on a hot summer day.

I remember one particular day when I was about 17 years old. I was coming home from work (summer job) and my car decided to stall when I stopped for a red light. Blast! I knew how to get the car going again, so I jumped out and opened the hood. I fiddled with a couple of things that I knew would get the car going again, but the car was being especially tricky on this particular day. When it got ultra finicky on those days, it actually took two people to get the thing going again. One person had to work under the hood while the other person started the engine and kept it revved. The trouble was, I only had me. Just as I was about to put the car in neutral and push it to the side of the road (heavens I was strong in those days—got my muscles from my Granny) I noticed two men approaching me through the stopped traffic.

“You need some help?” one of them asked. Without really thinking I just called back, “Yes. Come here and get in the car. Start the car and keep the engine revved when I tell you.”

One man got in the car while the other one watched what I was doing under the hood. “Start it,” I called to the man in the car, “and don’t take your foot off of the gas.”

He started the car, I slammed the hood closed, and ran back to the driver’s side. “Don’t take your foot of the gas,” I told him. “If you do, then the car will stall out again and I might not get it started the next time.”

He just grinned up at me. “Okay, honey,” he drawled.

“Alright, I need you to keep your foot on the gas and slide over into the passenger seat. I’m going to get into the driver’s seat and put my foot on the gas pedal, too, and then you can move your foot. Just DON’T take your foot off of the gas pedal until I get my foot on it!”

The man was grinning from ear to ear as I started to slide into the driver’s seat. Sort of a little too late I realized that he was not exactly moving over to the passenger’s seat in a very timely manner, but I was already in motion trying to get into the driver’s seat. I squeezed in beside him and gave him a push with my hip to get him out of the way. I HAD to get my foot on the gas pedal—It was all that I could think about—just keep the engine running!

The man, still grinning like this was the luckiest day of his life, finally started moving over to the passenger’s seat. As I put my foot out to replace his foot on the gas pedal our legs kind of touched. “I got it!” I said. “Let go!”

“Wo, wo, wo, honey!” the man said all giddy with laughter. “I can’t be going anywhere with you. I would get in all kinds of trouble!” Then he looked out of the passenger window at his friend and cackled, “Bo, you hear that? This little girl wants to take me for a ride!” THEN he turned to me, still laughing out loud and said, “You don’t won’t no old man like me, but thank you for trying! I better get out of here!”

I sat there stunned and stupid, replaying that past few seconds in my mind. I realized that he thought I was flirting with him and was issuing an invitation for….you know….that...when I put my leg over his leg to sustain pressure on the gas pedal. All I had been caring about was keeping my car running so that I could get home without it stalling again.

I tried to stammer an explanation, but the man just kept cackling while he was (thankfully) getting out of the car. “Woohoo! That girl was gonna get me in a whole heap of trouble.  Di’ you hear her, Bo, asked me to come home with her.” The two men hurried back across the street through the traffic, still laughing as they reached the curb.

The light changed to green and I took off, heading for home. “How in the heck did that man think I had asked him to come with me?” I kept wondering. I could understand the leg thing, but why did he think I had said anything about going anywhere with him? It eventually became apparent that when I had said, “I got it, let go,” he had thought I had said, “LET’S go.”

Thank heavens the good Lord was watching over me that day. I’d throw up with fear if one of my daughters ever came home and told me a story like that and then I’d go kick the car for not taking better care of my baby.

Quite a lead in for Chicken Enchiladas, isn’t it? hahahahahahaha

Let’s get going on the recipe. This is a favorite, super easy enchilada to make. With only a few ingredients, it goes together fairly quickly and is surprisingly tasty.

1. Corn tortillas work better than flour tortillas. Flour tortillas may get somewhat ‘gooey’ with the sauce. I tried a new kind of tortilla by Mission brand tortillas made with blue corn and ground flax seed. They were very, very good and held up well.
2. Be sure to soften tortillas by heating them prior to using them. Warm tortillas are more pliable and will not break or crack as do cold tortillas. The tortillas can be warmed either in the microwave or singly in a hot skillet for a few seconds on each side, then covered with a kitchen towel to keep them warm and moist.
3. A variety of cheeses can be used successfully for these tortillas. I most often use a Mexican-style four cheese blend of packaged, grated cheeses. I have also used a colby/jack mixture, jack only, cheddar/jack, or pepper jack and sharp cheddar mixture.
4. For sides, try Refried Beans and Simple Mexi-Rice.

Print Recipe

Cheese Enchiladas

It's all about the cheese, baby! Dinner can be ready in about an hour.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Servings: 8 enchiladas

Author: Terri @ that's some good cookin'

Ingredients

• 8 six-inch corn tortillas-- I used a blue corn and flax seed blend tortilla which was excellent. I personally do not like flour tortillas for this dish because they tend to get gooey.
• 2 (10 ounce) cans red enchilada sauce
• 2-2 1/2 cups grated cheese - any of the following recommended: 4 cheese Mexican blend, colby/jack, jack, cheddar/jack, pepper jack, pepper jack and sharp cheddar
• 1/2 yellow onion, very finely diced
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced including some of the green parts
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
• Optional for serving: sour cream, chopped cilantro, tomatoes, black olives, guacamole, bed of shredded lettuce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
• Prepare assembly area: pour 1 can of enchilada sauce into a pie plate, put cheese into a bowl, have onions prepped, open can of green chiles, set out a dinner plate in which to prepare enchiladas, butter/grease an 8-inch x 11-inch baking dish
• Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Place a folded over kitchen towel near work space.
• To warm tortillas, working with one tortilla at a time, place a tortilla on the hot skillet. Allow to heat for a few seconds, then turn over and heat the opposite side for a few seconds. Move warmed tortilla to one end of kitchen towel, fold other end of towel over tortilla.
• Repeat process for remaining tortillas. The tortillas need to be warmed so that they will be pliable during the folding process. This only takes a few seconds on each side. Move warmed tortillas to work area.
• Put a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip both sides of tortilla into enchilada sauce. Place on plate. Put about 3 tablespoons cheese across center of tortilla.
• Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon finely diced yellow onion and 1 teaspoon of thinly sliced green onions on top of the cheese.
• Put about 1 teaspoon green chiles on top of the onions.
• Roll up tortilla snugly around the filling and place in prepared baking dish.
• Repeat steps 7-10 with remaining tortillas.
• Pour remaining enchilada sauce over enchiladas. Note:It may not require all of the remaining sauce. Use your best judgement
• Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas.
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350-degrees F until enchiladas are hot and cheese has melted.
• Optional toppings for serving: sour cream, chopped cilantro, tomatoes, guacamole, black olives, bed of shredded lettuce.

Notes

• Corn tortillas work better than flour tortillas. Flour tortillas may get somewhat ‘gooey’ with the sauce. I tried a new kind of tortilla by Mission brand tortillas made with blue corn and ground flax seed. They were very, very good and held up well.
• Be sure to soften tortillas by heating them prior to using them. Warm tortillas are more pliable and will not break or crack as do cold tortillas. The tortillas can be warmed either in the microwave or singly in a hot skillet for a few seconds on each side, then covered with a kitchen towel to keep them warm and moist.
• A variety of cheeses can be used successfully for these tortillas. I most often use a Mexican-style four cheese blend of packaged, grated cheeses. I have also used a colby/jack mixture, jack only, cheddar/jack, or pepper jack and sharp cheddar mixture.

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Red Enchilada Sauce

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

 

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