Best Ever Cheese Enchiladas. This simple enchilada recipe is easy to put together, bold and authentic in taste, and sure to impress all who get to enjoy them!
Cheese Enchiladas
This cheese enchilada recipe is my favorite go to recipe! Whenever I know someone who is in need of a meal, or my own family needs a quick meal, these cheese enchiladas are what I make. The red enchilada sauce is homemade and gives this simple dish a bold, authentic flavor. Pair that with all the melted cheese and this dish is pure comfort. Pair this dish with some refried beans, cilantro lime cauliflower rice, or follow it up with some tres leches cake for a complete meal!
How to Make Cheese Enchiladas
- Prepare the enchilada sauce. My all time favorite red enchilada sauce recipe. It’s quick and easy to put together, and has a classic authentic Tex Mex flavor. Bold, authentic, and perfect!
- Cook the tortillas. More on this later as to why. Just give the tortillas a quick fry in some hot oil in a skillet on the stovetop.
- Dip the tortillas into enchilada sauce. I actually find it easier to use a brush and paint the sauce on the tortillas on my cutting board, just because I always end up ripping my tortillas when I dip them. So the less handling of the tortillas for me, the better.
- Fill with cheese and roll. My cheese of preference is Monterey Jack cheese. Pour a small amount of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, then lay the enchiladas side by side into the dish.
- Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese and continue baking until the cheese is completely melted.
What kind of cheese is used in Cheese Enchiladas?
Seeing as how this is a Tex Mex recipe, we are going for Monterey Jack cheese! If you’re looking for a more authentic Mexican style enchilada you could use a manchengo cheese, which grates and melts nicely for enchiladas.
Do you cook tortillas before making enchiladas?
YES!! Absolutely. This not only softens the tortillas, which makes them easier to fill and roll without tearing. It also helps to bring out the flavor of the corn tortillas in the final dish.
What’s the best way to heat corn tortillas for enchiladas?
Heat some oil, corn or vegetable, in a large skillet. Once the oil is heated, gently dip the tortillas one by one in the oil to cook. Once the tortillas start to turn a golden color remove them from the oil and place on a plate, wrap them in paper towels or a clean towel to help keep warm.
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Best Ever Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce
- ¼ cup oil or butter, can use canola or olive oil
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 cups beef broth, can sub with another type use a LOW or NO SODIUM
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
Enchiladas
- ½ cup corn or vegetable oil
- 15-20 white corn tortillas, (6 inch)
- 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
- ½ cup diced onion, optional
Toppings
- Tomato, diced
- Cilantro, diced
- Sour Cream
- Avocado, sliced
Instructions
Enchilada Sauce
- Heat the oil or butter in a medium size skillet over medium heat.
- Add in the flour and stir to mix. Will be a thick mixture. Allow this to cook for just 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the spices. Stir to form a thick paste.
- Stir in the broth and tomato paste. Stir until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Stir occasionally. Cook about 5 minutes.
Enchiladas
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- While the sauce is simmering assemble the enchiladas.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tortillas one at a time carefully to the oil to cook. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side, until the tortillas turn golden in color. Then remove from the oil and place on a plate, cover with a paper towel or a clean towel to retain the heat.
- Pour a small amount of the enchilada sauce into a casserole dish, spread around so the bottom of the dish is covered in sauce.
- One by one dip each tortilla into the enchilada sauce, or brush the enchilada sauce onto each tortilla, then sprinkle a small handful of monterey jack cheese onto a tortilla, sprinkle with diced onion if desired, roll it up and place in casserole dish with the seam side down. Continue until the casserole dish is full.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
- Bake in the oven at 350℉ degrees for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Top with any optional toppings of choice: green onion, tomato, cilantro, sour cream.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
These are so so yummy! I use pepper jack to spice it up a bit. The homemade sauce really makes the dish. I was pressed for time once and used a canned sauce and it was not nearly as good. Thanks for a great recipe!
My first time making !!! Yum but my sauce was a little dark, would I be able to add a little cream to lighten the sauce ? Thanks 😊
I’m going to try these with your sauce, the only tinnnnnny change is to use Munster cheese. Try it, it’s so good!
I am delighted to find the gravy recipe!! Left Tx about 16 years ago. First to New Mexico, were I discovered all NM Mexican were actually from Wisconsin (EVERYTHING Mexican was made with Cheddar cheese a greasy stringy mess).
I always used Monterey Jack and onion in my enchilada. I never saw yellow cheese used in Mexican food until I left Texas.
I had used a sauce that I can’t find anymore and I don’t believe is still produced. I’ve tried some that were made with lots of Chili Power and Paprika and is gritty to my taste. This recipe sounds perfect!
I’m so excited for you to try this recipe! I hope you come back and let me know what you think of it 🙂
I keep going over the RECPIE to find what chili powder you used from Amazon and unable to find it again. I made the sauce tonight and tomorrow I will have my Enchiladas, my mouth is watering now.
I always use Gebhardt’s Chili Powder! Here’s a link to it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Dzj56G (affiliate link)
Yum! My husband and I loved this!!! so easy!!!!
only question I have is what would you do to spice it up a bit…
my family loves spicey
Hi Mickey! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! If you want to add a bit more of a kick to the sauce, you can add some crushed red pepper to the sauce while making it. Start with a small amount, and add to taste. Hope that helps!
I just made the gravy for the first time. Yum! I can’t wait to eat it with my Enchiladas tomorrow. I am going to make Mexican Beef Enchiladas. Can’t wait. Thanks for sharing
Okay, we had some leftover brisket in the freezer. So I made brisket enchiladas with this chili gravy. Topped the enchiladas with tomato, green onions, and some sliced olives right before eating. Turned out to be a really fun dinner, great comfort food for our snowy day yesterday! Thanks for sharing the gravy recipe, it’s something I’ve never tried before. These enchiladas would be great to take to a friend/family member who needs a meal brought in. Thank you!
Yum!! That sounds delicious!
Gravy is great and easy. Lucky I found this just in time for Hatch Chili season.
Yes!! The best season of the year!
Love Texas enchilada gravy! From a town north of Houston, I’ve eaten plenty! When we first came to Oklahoma, I ordered a chile relleno, but requested gravy instead of ranchero sauce. They served it with WHITE GRAVY (like for chicken fried steak)!!! Oh how I miss Texas!!!!
Oh no!!!! That’s definitely not the kind of gravy you were wanting. That’s such a funny story though!
I have been looking for a good Mexican recipe , this one sounds great, but I will cook up some seasoned ground beef to add to them or hubby will be saying wheres the BEEF, thanks for some good Mexican recipes.
That sounds like it should be good! Let me know how they turn out 🙂
That first photo made me drool… no joke! These enchiladas sound terrific!
Wow! These look amazing! Enchiladas are my favorite go-to meal!
I am loving the look of that sauce and those cheesy enchiladas!
Oh my goodness! That homemade Texas chili gravy – yum! What a delicious beginning to a fantastic recipe – totally elevates the typical enchilada casserole into something special! And so fabulous that it can come together so very quickly, too!
I love the Texas Gravy twist. We eat enchiladas a lot at my house. I think the Texas Gravy would be a nice change to the usual enchilada recipe we use.
My roommate doesn’t like a thick enchiladas sauce but I do! I’m sneaking your recipe in next time I make enchiladas and hopefully he just won’t notice 😉
Enchiladas are my all time favorite comfort food. These look amazing! Love the idea of using Texas chili gravy!