Stacked Red Chili Enchiladas
James Carrier
Yields Makes 1 servings

"Every Friday night we had stacked cheese enchiladas made with red chili sauce and blue corn tortillas," says Sam Baca, who is now community liaison for Cornerstones Community Partnerships, a Santa Fe group that helps restore small-town historic churches. "I remember the exact taste, but I can't duplicate it. I even have the same pan my mother used to make those enchiladas. Maybe it's the chili - we liked our chili fairly hot. People would dry red chilies, grind them, and come around door-to-door with three, four, five kinds in the back of a pickup. To this day, those enchiladas are my favorite food."

How to Make It

Step 1
1

In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat, cook tortillas, in a single layer, until soft and lightly toasted, turning once, about 3 minutes per batch. Set aside as toasted.

Step 2
2

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and stir until limp, about 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Step 3
3

Mix ground chilies and flour in pan and stir over low heat until chilies smell lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

Step 4
4

Whisk in broth until smooth. Stir over high heat until sauce boils, about 2 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Step 5
5

Dip 1 tortilla in chili sauce, coating both sides, then set on a microwave-safe plate. Top tortilla with half the onion and a third of the cheese. Repeat layers, using all tortillas and onion. Pour remaining chili sauce (it thickens as it cools) over this stacked enchilada, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Step 6
6

Heat enchilada in a microwave oven at full power (100%) until hot in center, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Step 7
7

Top with sour cream and accompany with beans, lettuce, and tomato.

Ingredients

 3 blue or yellow corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
 1 cup chopped onion
 2 tablespoons ground New Mexico chilies (also called chili powder)
 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  Salt
 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat (made with 2% milk) cheddar cheese
  Nonfat or low-fat sour cream (optional)
 1 can (8 oz.) pinto or black beans, heated
 1 cup shredded lettuce
 2 tablespoons diced tomato

Directions

Step 1
1

In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat, cook tortillas, in a single layer, until soft and lightly toasted, turning once, about 3 minutes per batch. Set aside as toasted.

Step 2
2

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and stir until limp, about 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Step 3
3

Mix ground chilies and flour in pan and stir over low heat until chilies smell lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

Step 4
4

Whisk in broth until smooth. Stir over high heat until sauce boils, about 2 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Step 5
5

Dip 1 tortilla in chili sauce, coating both sides, then set on a microwave-safe plate. Top tortilla with half the onion and a third of the cheese. Repeat layers, using all tortillas and onion. Pour remaining chili sauce (it thickens as it cools) over this stacked enchilada, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Step 6
6

Heat enchilada in a microwave oven at full power (100%) until hot in center, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Step 7
7

Top with sour cream and accompany with beans, lettuce, and tomato.

Stacked Red Chili Enchiladas

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