# I need a stellar enchilada recipe **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839 "2010-12-03T18:16:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/1 "2010-12-03T18:16:51Z")
I’m going to a potluck on Sunday, and I’m a courtin’ a feller and would like to win his heart with food. I need an above and beyond enchilada recipe- no canned sauce or gobs of gooey cheese. I’m a good cook, and want something that shows off my abilities. I’ll have all day to cook. That said, I don’t want to get too crazy fancy- no goat cheese, pine nut and arugula enchiladas. I’m from California, they’ll be plenty of Texans and dude is South American. I’m hoping for something with a healthy dose of respect for American Southwest traditions. That said, I’m in DC and I can’t just wander down to the Mexican grocers like I’m used to. Ingredients I can get at Safeway (or _gasp_ whole foods) would be nice. Gah, I don’t think my local Safeway even has tomatillos. What’s wrong with this coast? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/2 "2010-12-03T18:32:13Z")
Check the[Homesick Texan](http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/). She’s got several enchilada recipes… ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/3 "2010-12-03T18:39:42Z")
I’m not sure how much you’re wanting to deviate from the standard from reading your OP, but if you want to get a lil’ creative. . . My favorite enchiladas are from this restaurant here in town: pepperjack enchiladas. They take carne asada and brown up little strips (I think they LIGHTLY dredge it in seasoned flour, then pan fry it). When I make this at home, I also saute up some onions and bell peppers cut into teensy pieces. Throw everything into the tortillas, wrap, place in the dish. Then, make the cheese sauce: 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 4 ounces shredded monterey jack pepper cheese Melt butter in a sauce pan. With a whisk, mix in flour and allow to cook for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook for 1 minute. Add cheese, keep whisking until cheese melts. The sauce isn’t gobby, OMG CHEESE, but rather a nice creamy sauce with kick. Totally different take on enchiladas, but super popular any time I’ve made them. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/4 "2010-12-03T19:20:02Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I’m in DC and I can’t just wander down to the Mexican grocers like I’m used to. Just look for a supermarket in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood. [This store in Arlington](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=george+mason+drive+%26+columbia+pike,+arlington,+va&sll=36.102376,-95.712891&sspn=47.078891,69.609375&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Columbia+Pike+%26+S+George+Mason+Dr,+Arlington,+Virginia+22204&ll=38.85893,-77.101615&spn=0,0.016994&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=38.85893,-77.101615&panoid=IRH2IUE9Vf7kytPG0QsxpA&cbp=12,282.45,,0,5) should have what you need. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/5 "2010-12-03T19:26:05Z")
1. gather and mix favorite enchilada ingredients 2. wrap in tortilla 3. place in the heart of a star until done edit: Step 3 won’t take long. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/6 "2010-12-03T19:53:59Z")
Some good ideas here. I could get to a Mt. Pleasant bodega if I had to, but I’m carless way out in Tenleytown, so it’d be a bit of a hike. Don’t even get me started on how the grocery stores out here don’t have any reasonable sourdough bread. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/7 "2010-12-03T20:12:42Z")
Have you checked out Rodman’s on 5100 Wisconsin Avenue? They tend to have a lot of more exotic foods although I’ve usually gone there for Italian things as opposed to Latin American groceries. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/8 "2010-12-03T23:55:30Z")
Sauce: 9 Gaujillo Chiles (seeded and stems removed) 2 cloves garlic 1 clove pinch oregano To make the sauce: 1. toast the chiles for a few seconds on each side (don’t let them burn it will give a bitter taste) using an iron skillet. 2. place toasted chiles in a shallow pan and cover with water. Simmer for about ten minutes or until the chiles are very soft. Let cool. 3. With about a half cup of water, blend the garlic and cloves in a blender. Then add the chiles one at a time, adding more water (usually about a cup) as needed. You don’t want a paste, you want something with a slightly thin consistency. 4. In a mesh strainer, strain the sauce (the skin of the gaujillo can be touch to digest) [this step is sort of optional imho] 5. Cook the sauce in a shallow pan with a bit of oil. After about 5 minutes or so the sauce should have a good consistency to cover submerged tortilla. 6. Dip a tortilla in the sauce, then fill as desired! I like to fill with a mix of potatoes, onions and cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/9 "2010-12-04T04:10:03Z")
This is a link to someone’s repost of a Cooks Illustrated recipe that I’ve used and is AMAZING. Labor intensive, though. [Here!](http://whatimadefordinner.blogspot.com/2006/09/enchilada-recipe.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/10 "2010-12-04T12:27:32Z")
I made some last month with homemade corn tortillas, and it’s worth the extra work. Best enchiladas I ever made. A tortilla press really cuts down on the work, but hand rolling them with a rolling pin isn’t too bad if you’re only doing a dozen or so. I also cooked chicken the day before into a kind of stew with onions, celery, peppers, cumin, oregano, etc. Using several kinds of cheese helps too. I used a gouda with cumin that was fantastic, but I buy it at a local farmers market, so that’s probably not much help. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/11 "2010-12-05T03:33:52Z")
These are [kick-ass](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-enchiladas-with-roasted-tomatillo-chile-salsa-recipe/index.html). Made them many times, always a huge hit. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/12 "2010-12-05T03:34:19Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I’m carless way out in Tenleytown Are you walking distance from Metro? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/13 "2010-12-05T03:46:02Z")
**sven** , my knowledge of DC geography is not great, but when I stayed with my friend in Columbia Heights there were tons of signs in Spanish; I’m sure there are some good bodegas around there. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-stellar-enchilada-recipe/562839/14 "2010-12-05T03:49:52Z")
Didn’t **Stella Enchilada** host a daytime talk show on Telemundo?