Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Cheesy Lunchtime Enchiladas

I found this recipe while planning a grocery trip - I was looking for something relatively simple that I could prepare on a Sunday and then take for lunch during the week.  These enchiladas were the perfect recipe for the job.  They're fairly easy to put together, they're extra tasty, and they reheat well.  I recommend adding a scoop of refried beans or frozen corn to the side of your tupperware - either will reheat right alongside the enchiladas and make a great side dish.

I've never made enchiladas with fried tortillas as in this recipe - I tend to just heat the tortillas up and then roll  them around fillings.  The fried tortillas are certainly less healthy, but I think they made this dish special and the finished enchiladas really reminded me of a restaurant dish.  Definitely worth the splurge for a lunchtime treat when you're having a rough week!


Cheesy Lunchtime Enchiladas (adapted from Chow, original recipe here)
Makes 12 enchiladas

2 cups canned enchilada sauce
12 ounces shredded cheese (I used a mix of sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack)
1 cup vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas
1/3 cup minced sweet onion

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Pour 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish, and spread it out to coat the bottom evenly.
3. Set up your workspace.  Place the cheese and onion in separate bowls, and line a baking sheet with paper towels.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking, about 5 minutes.  You can test it by dipping the edge of a tortilla in the oil - it should bubble vigorously.
4. When the oil is hot, fry the tortillas one at a time.  Fry each tortilla about 10 seconds on the first side and 5 seconds on the second side.  Transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheet, and arrange the tortillas in a single layer. If you run out of room, separate layers with paper towels.  End with a layer of paper towels, and blot the tortillas to soak up excess oil.
5. Fill each tortilla with 2 heaping tablespoons of cheese and 1 teaspoon of minced onion.  Roll up the tortilla, is place in the baking pan seam-side-down.  When all the enchiladas are in the baking dish, cover with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Let cool completely, and then separate among 4 lunch containers (3 enchiladas per container).  (Of course, you can also serve these hot out of the oven if you prefer them for dinner!)

3 comments:

  1. I'm in an enchilada mood this week and am loving the sound of these!! The fried tortillas are definitely a fun twist. :)

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  2. Using fried tortillas sounds brilliant actually! :D

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