Recipes by Rupa Sethu

Holy Enchilada!

Anyone remember the Hank Zipzer book series for young readers by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver? These were full of adventure and made everyday situations so much fun! As I was planning our Cinco de Mayo dinner this year, I suddenly remembered book #6 – Holy Enchilada! The recipe in the back of the book for the hot and spicy cheese enchilada is absolutely on point. So that’s what I’m making today – with a couple of variations for the low sodium folks, of course!

This is the original recipe!

Ingredients

The Sauce

  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped

The Fillings

  • Cheese (as the original recipe)
    • About 3 cups of mixed shredded cheese (I used mostly swiss with a little bit of monterey and colby jack)
  • Chicken
    • Marinate chicken thighs with cumin, chipotle chili powder, garlic, lemon juice
    • roasted in the oven – 400F, 15 min
    • Sliced into thin strips
  • Black Bean
    • Drained and rinsed can of black beans (no salt added)
    • a tbsp of cream cheese
  • Stack of corn tortillas

Method

  • Sauté the onions in 2 tbsp of oil till a bit soft. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, all the spices and let simmer for about 15 minutes. The sauce is done.
  • For the cheese enchiladas, mix about 3 cups of mixed cheeses with the sautéed onions.
  • Just use a little bit of cheese with the chicken as the filling for the chicken enchiladas.
  • For the black bean enchiladas, mix in about a tbsp of jalapeno spiced cream cheese with the beans for the filling.
  • Now we have 3 different fillings for the enchiladas.
  • Dip each tortilla in the sauce, fill each tortilla with the filling of your choice and roll up. Then arrange them in a shallow baking dish.
  • Once you have all the enchiladas lined up, sprinkle with the remaining sauce and cheese on top.
  • Bake the enchiladas at 350F for about 25 minutes till the cheese is melted and bubbly.

I love enchiladas and have posted other recipes previously. However, these were a favorite when my oldest was young enough to read the Hank Zipzer books! Enjoy these variations on the original Holy Enchilada! Happy Cinco de Mayo!