Stacked Enchiladas Recipe
New Mexico’s signature stacked enchiladas
Getting Saucy
While we were shopping at the Holiday Market at the Albuquerque Rail Yards, Tony picked up a jar of Tio Frank’s Red Chili Sauce. He get a chance to taste-test the sauce at Tio Frank’s booth, and declared it to be perfect for enchiladas.
Enchiladas are an art
If you have ever made enchiladas, you might recall that they are a bit labor-intensive. First you have to soak the tortillas to make them soft for rolling, otherwise they break when rolling - well, corn tortillas do. Flour is more pliable. Anyway, then you have to stuff and roll each tortilla, which is soaked with sauce so your hands get all messy. Enchiladas are truly a labor of love. And that isn’t even taking into account learning how to “fold in the cheese” under Moira’s watchful eye. LOL
New Mexico make it easier
New Mexico has some definite “state foods” that make my mouth water. Aside from the green and red chilis grown in Hatch - and all over the state really - we’ve got biscochitos. This is not likely a recipe I will ever try, what with my moratorium on flour and sugar in the house. This is the kind of treat that I will gladly pay someone else to make for me. We found a couple of great sources in the area: Celina’s and Dulce Tradicion.
Please don’t come at me, but the reason I like these two brands is their lack of overpowering anise. I actually am not a fan of anise, so these two bakers top my list. Celina’s biscochitos have a light hint of anise that I can tolerate (unless i dip it in coffee, which accentuates the flavor). Dulce Tradicion makes two recipes: one traditional and one for anise-lovers. That’s why Tony and I each buy our own stash.
Oh yeah, this is about enchiladas
I guess I got carried away talking about biscochitos. Today I’m supposed to be talking about enchiladas. By the way, do you now pronounce it “aunch-ilada”? No? Just us? Maybe you need to watch Shitt’s Creek again(or for the first time).
It feels like I’m stalling. I promise I’m not. I’m just chatty today, apparently.
OK, anyway. Here we go. Stacked enchiladas. This is another New Mexico signature dish that I’ve really embraced. Because we love enchiladas, but not all the work and frustration that goes into making them. So, when Tony tasted Tio Frank’s sauce (remember Tio Frank’s? From the top of this page?) and said he wanted enchiladas, I was completely on-board.
About my recipe
The photos I’m including in this post are from my (successful) attempt at making individual servings of stacked enchiladas. I used two of our Pyrex dishes. Perhaps I have to say vintage Pyrex or something; I cannot find our syle of dishes on the website. Anyway, any oven-safe container will do. If you have something approximately tortilla-sized, go for it. Otherwise, get out that 9X13 and make a whole pan. You’ll want that much anyway!
How to stack enchiladas
Stacked enchiladas are built sort of like lasagne. Start with a thin coating of sauce, add a layer of tortilla, then add cooked meat, cheese, veggies, or whatever other filling you want. Repeat the sauce, tortilla, and filling layers until you run out of filling or space, whichever comes first. Top with one more scoop of sauce and a generous amount of grated cheese. Bake until everything is all bubbly and hot.
One more special ingredient
Another feature of New Mexico’s stacked enchiladas is that they are typically topped with a fried egg. Because of this, I did make these for breakfast. However, I don’t think there is ever a bad time for a fried egg, so please don’t think this is for breakfast only.
Now the ingredients:
1 pound Ground Beef
1 small Onion, chopped
1 TBSP Hatch Green Chili seasoning
10-12 Tortillas (corn or flour)
14 ounce jar Enchilada Sauce
2 cups Shredded Oaxaca Cheese
One fried egg per serving
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sour Cream and Guacamole on the side
