Red Chile Enchilada Sauce

I generally keep a can of prepared enchilada sauce on hand to make a quick dinner or refried bean side dish (I mix a can of refried beans with some sauce, diced onions, chopped cilantro, and cheddar or Mexican blend cheese then bake until heated throughout) and thought I had some on hand but, alas, I didn't.  But a quick search on one of my favorite food blogs turned up this incredibly easy and absolutely delicious sauce.

I had everything on hand (including a half of a jalapeno I had thrown into my freezer "pepper bag.")  Halving the original recipe gave me enough for 4 good-sized enchiladas and leftovers to mix into my beans.

With this sauce, all you need is some shredded chicken, beef, or pork, some cheese and cilantro.  Mix it all together, roll it up in corn or flour tortillas, top with more sauce and cheese, and bake (see full recipe here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/red-chile-sauce-chicken-enchiladas/).  

RED CHILE ENCHILADA SAUCE (makes about 2 cups)

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine

1 tsp canola oil

3 tsp minced fresh garlic

2 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2-3 tsp sugar

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 cup water

S&P

In a saucepan, combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 tsp salt, and oil.  Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onions and pepper have softened, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomato sauce and water.  Bring to a simmer.

Continue to simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible.  Season sauce with additional and pepper to taste.  Save the leftover onion mixture to stir into the fillings of your enchilada.

Recipe Source: www.melskitchencafe.com