I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a big plate of enchiladas – encapsulated in a thick, rich sauce and garnished with a little queso fresco.
We love our share of enchiladas around here, roasted tomatillo are probably right up there at the top, but these play a close second.
Though we could have used chicken in these enchiladas, above, we opted to use potatoes. They are relatively easy to prepare .. as we just threw them in our Instant Pot for 10 minutes, then removed the peel and mashed with a little salt. They don’t have to be mashed smooth — you could actually put one of your older kids in charge of the mashing and they would probably do quite well.
This sauce is so versatile – it packs quite a bit of flavor, and isn’t overly spicy even for our smallest kids.
- 5 medium dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into pieces
- 1/2 small white onion, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1/2 of a 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes in juice
- 1 quart organic chicken broth
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 Tbsp masa harina (or organic cornflour)
- 1/2 C. chopped cilantro
- 8-10 organic corn tortillas (find these at Whole Foods)
- 5 small white potatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- Boil the potatoes until soft, or put them in your Instant Pot with 1/2 C. water and cook on manual (high) for 10 minutes until soft. Remove peel, roughly mash, add salt (more or less to taste) and set aside.
- In a blender jar, combine the guajillo chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices, oregano and 1 C. of the chicken broth. Blend as smooth as possible.
- In a 6-8 qt dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Set a medium strainer over the top and pour the chile mixture in the strainer. Press the mixture through the strainer into the skillet and stir until it's thick, and light orange in color.
- Scoop the masa harina into the blender and add the cilantro leaves. Add 1 C. of the broth and blend thoroughly - then pour that mixture through the strainer into the cooked chile mixture.
- Whisk until the sauce comes to a boil and starts to become thick. Add the 2 C. of remaining broth and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Taste and season with salt - 1/2 - 1 tsp depending on your preference.
- Place the 8-10 corn tortillas in a clean, damp dish rag (water squeezed out) and wrap that dish rag around them well. Place in the microwave for 40-50 seconds, then remove.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Now, it's time to assemble the enchiladas. Take each tortilla, and top with a small amount of mashed potatoes. Ensure you work quickly and cover unused tortillas so they stay moist. Roll up quickly and place in a greased casserole dish. Repeat with all of the corn tortillas (should have enough for 8-10).
- Once all tortillas have been rolled, top with the red chile sauce, making sure you cover the ends thoroughly. If you must to a second layer, ensure you cover the first layer with chile before stacking another layer atop.
- Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 7-8 minutes, just until heated through. Too long and they will become mushy.
- Top with queso fresco and refrigerate any leftovers.
- Refrigerate leftover red chile sauce and use within one week.
Love Mexican food? See our Roasted Tomatillo Enchiladas, Red Chile & Chicken Posole or recipe for making Tamales in your Instant Pot.
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