There wasn’t any arguing. No nitpicking. Nobody was on the fence. We both agreed, these are the best cheese enchiladas we’ve ever made. The mole-inspired but-easier-to-make-than-mole sauce was the real winner. Such amazing deep flavor. A little kick. The perfect pairing with creamy, melted cheese. Each and every bite was fantastic. These are the most flavor-packed enchiladas we’ve made, had, seen, or even dreamed of!
The Tortillas
We went the flour tortilla route when we made these. Sure, you can use corn tortillas for the best cheese enchiladas. That’d be more authentic if that’s what you’re going for. Us, we’re flour folk. Corn tortillas need to be lightly fried before stuffing and rolling. Flour ones don’t. We prefer the taste and texture of the flour tortillas. They may not be quite as authentic, but then we weren’t going to open a Mexican restaurant this week anyways!
Make sure you use hand-shredded or grated cheeses in this or any dish that calls for it. It makes a huge difference in the final recipe.
You’ll end up up with 10 enchiladas if you go with flour tortillas. That’ll feed a crowd. You’ll have 12 corn ones. They won’t last!
This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Jeff Mauro.
The Best Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces Chihuahua cheese shredded
- 4 ounces sharp Cheddar shredded
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 10 flour tortillas 10". You can substitute 12 corn tortillas, just see the note about frying them before stuffing and wrapping.
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour until smooth.
- Add the chile powders, cocoa, oregano, garlic powder and cumin. Whisk well and continue whisking until the sauce thickens and becomes aromatic. This will take 5-7 minutes.
- While whisking, slowly pour in the chicken stock. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens, 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir and remove from heat.
- Combine all of the cheeses in a large bowl.
- Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture onto the bottom of a 9" x 14" baking dish. Spread out evenly using the back of the spoon or a spatula.
- Working one-at-a-time, spoon a scant 2/3 cup of cheese onto a tortilla. Roll up tightly, folding in the edges. Place in the baking dish with the seam-side down. I was able to fit 8 in a row in the dish, with another 2 alongside.
- Spoon the remaining sauce over the tortillas and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve garnished with the pickled jalapenos and fresh cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
