So... my turkey this year came out a bit on the dry side (slow roasted it, should have flipped it over halfway thru). Figured that some enchilada sauce would rectify that with any leftovers, so I decided to try my hand at enchiladas. This was a first for me. They were ridiculous. The sauce is the kicker - enchilada sauce from scratch is just.... sooooooo good.
Make the sauce - this is a double batch so you have some more to drink...er, use again later:
- 7 Dried Guajillo Chilis - seeded
- 3 Dried Arbol Chilis - seeded
- 4 Dried California Chilis - Seeded
- 2 tsp Salt
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 TB sugar
- 1 TB semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Oregano
Seed your chilis and place in a large heatproof bowl.
Boil 6 cups of water, pour over the chilis, and let soften for about 30 minutes.
RESERVE THE SOAKING WATER.
Using a slotted spoon or a spider, transfer chilis to a blender.
Add in 2 cups of the chili soaked water, the garlic, chocolate chips, cumin, sugar, salt, and oregano.
Blend until smooth.
Enchilada Sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to 6 months.
Enchilada Sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to 6 months.
Prep the enchiladas:
- 2 Cups leftover turkey meat, shredded
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 3/4 cup Enchilada sauce plus more for drizzling
- 2 Cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Corn tortillas*
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking dish with parchment paper, and cover with a thin coat of sauce. (Parchment is the ultimate for messy dishes like this, I love it).
Line a baking dish with parchment paper, and cover with a thin coat of sauce. (Parchment is the ultimate for messy dishes like this, I love it).
Place turkey and beans in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over, and smash all together with a potato masher (or your hands if you want).
Spoon some sauce onto a small plate, place tortilla on the plate, and spoon more sauce over it. I ended up just spooning/smearing it around with my hands for each one, you want the tortilla to be lightly coated with sauce.
Make a stripe of turkey/beans mixture down the middle of the tortilla, about 1/2 cup. Add some cheese.
Spoon some sauce onto a small plate, place tortilla on the plate, and spoon more sauce over it. I ended up just spooning/smearing it around with my hands for each one, you want the tortilla to be lightly coated with sauce.
Make a stripe of turkey/beans mixture down the middle of the tortilla, about 1/2 cup. Add some cheese.
Gently roll the tortilla and place into the baking dish, seam side down.
Repeat until your dish is full (mine held nine). You should have a bit of cheese left over for the top - if not, just grate more.
Now gently drizzle more sauce over the enchiladas until generously coated but not swimming in it, and top with more cheese.
Now gently drizzle more sauce over the enchiladas until generously coated but not swimming in it, and top with more cheese.
Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 10 more minutes.
Let cool a bit and serve with your favorite toppings: Sour cream, cilantro, salsa, pickled jalapeños, etc.
Let cool a bit and serve with your favorite toppings: Sour cream, cilantro, salsa, pickled jalapeños, etc.
* A note about tortillas
Trying to avoid The Gluten lately for health reasons, so I'm using corn tortillas. I feel that they make the enchiladas a bit more hearty, and don't get all chewy and slightly slimy like flour tortillas tend to do.
