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A close-up view of a large white platter filled with Mexican rice on one side and refried beans on the other side and three cheese enchiladas with ancho sauce in the middle.

Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: TexMex / Mexican
Keyword: best enchilada sauce recipe, how to make cheese enchiladas
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Preparing the ancho sauce: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 177kcal
These enchiladas are the real deal. Make the ancho chili sauce days in advance and go with quality freshly shredded cheese and you won't believe how wonderful of an enchilada you will be able to create. 
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 9"x13" baking dish

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Ancho Chile Sauce
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 10 yellow corn tortillas
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese shredded
  • ½ cup onion finely diced
  • green leaf lettuce chopped, for garnish
  • pico de gallo for garnish

Instructions

  • Make the ancho sauce ahead of time.
    3 cups Ancho Chile Sauce
  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Heat ancho sauce in sauce pan, or in microwave-safe bowl. Remove from heat and set aside. 
  • Spread about 1 cup of the ancho sauce across the bottom of the 9"13" dish.
  • Heat oil in a medium-sized, non-stick skillet. Place one tortilla into the oil for 3 seconds, quickly flip over for another 3 seconds, and then remove from the skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
    ¼ cup vegetable oil, 10 yellow corn tortillas
  • Dip the softened tortilla in the ancho sauce and turn to fully coat. Lift the tortilla up and let excess drip off. Place in the baking dish and add ¼ cup of the cheddar and ¼ cup of the Monterrey Jack cheese in the middle of the tortilla.
    3 cups cheddar cheese, 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
  • Fold tortillas, so the edges cross on top. Turn the enchilada over in the dish so it is seam-side down. Continue with the remaining tortillas.
  • Add a layer of cheddar cheese across the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the chopped onions over the cheese.
    ½ cup onion
  • Bake for about 12 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Remove from oven and serve at once, garnishing with chopped lettuce and pico de gallo, if desired.
    green leaf lettuce, pico de gallo

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Then ancho sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. 
You can also soften the tortillas by wrapping them in paper towels and damping them with a little tap water and then place them in the microwave on HIGH for about 1 minute. 
Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for several days. Reheat until bubbly in a 350°F oven or in the microwave. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 0.1mg