# What can I do to keep my enchilada firm? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 15, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875 "2004-11-15T16:28:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/1 "2004-11-15T16:28:43Z")
Every time I make chicken enchiladas, the tortillas get very soft and they fall apart when I dish them up out of the baking pan. I precook the corn tortillas briefly in hot oil, drain them, dip them in a little enchilada sauce, fill them with cooked chicken and cheese, roll 'em up and put them in a shallow baking dish. Then I cover them with canned enchilada sauce, and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/2 "2004-11-15T16:31:42Z")
My first thought was viagra, forgive me. _hangs head in shame_ But in all honesty, I see A LOT of wisecracking in this threads future. 😃 Sadly the only thing I know about enchiladas is how to eat them! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/3 "2004-11-15T16:33:08Z")
Perhaps you are using too much sauce. during the baking stage. Cut down on the amount in the baking pan. Heat some separately in a saucepan to add at the table if you think they need more. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/4 "2004-11-15T18:58:47Z")
> [@Krisfer the Cat](#): > > My first thought was viagra, forgive me. _hangs head in shame_ > > But in all honesty, I see A LOT of wisecracking in this threads future. 😃 > > Sadly the only thing I know about enchiladas is how to eat them! You beat me to the punch. I was going to suggest, “Keep stroking it”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/5 "2004-11-15T19:01:44Z")
I love the enchilada, but I, too, had a limp one. Plus, they’re a pain in the ass. So now I cut the tortillas in half, put the flat sides against the sides of the dish, and make an enchilada casserole. It tastes the same, but is less labor intensive and it seems to hold together better. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/6 "2004-11-15T19:13:01Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > I love the enchilada, but I, too, had a limp one. Plus, they’re a pain in the ass. So now I cut the tortillas in half, put the flat sides against the sides of the dish, and make an enchilada casserole. It tastes the same, but is less labor intensive and it seems to hold together better. That’s what my mom does, and it worked fine all my life. My girlfriend, however, makes the rolled up kind and I must say, I really like the texture better. Hers are nice and firm. I’ll show her this thread and ask her advice (she’s a chef.) ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/7 "2004-11-15T19:49:22Z")
It might be the precooking. I usually just warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or the microwave, then dip them in sauce and roll them. If your tortillas are dry, though, it would probably be better to do the casserole thing. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/8 "2004-11-15T20:00:23Z")
> [@Amazon Floozy Goddess](#): > > You beat me to the punch. I was going to suggest, “Keep stroking it”. 😃 Dang it! I’m too late… :smack: I was gonna suggest finding a warm “chalupa”… ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/9 "2004-11-15T20:20:48Z")
Do you cook them all mashed together in a casserole dish like I do? You might try separating them then, combined with less sauce (you can always add more at the table.) It might take two casserole dishes, but you’d get crunchier enchiladas, and possibly with less cooking time. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/10 "2004-11-15T20:22:14Z")
You might try selling stock in your firm, but make sure to keep 51%, to protect against a hostile takeover. Also, if your enchilada firm is considered a small business, you might be able to get a loan from the government to help. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/11 "2004-11-15T20:34:42Z")
Everybody beat me to the best jokes, so my suggestion is to cut out the “dip in sauce” step. I never do that. Just fry briefly, fill, roll, sauce and bake. Or make New Mexico style enchiladas, which are layered rather than rolled. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/12 "2004-11-15T20:49:25Z")
I’d skip the frying step - unnecessary and just adds fat, eh? I was thinking you could double up the tortillas, too. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/13 "2004-11-15T23:17:38Z")
I made Enchilladas last week. It’s the prefrying for sure. Try steaming them ahead of time first, it avaids cracking and no extra fat to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/14 "2004-11-15T23:21:35Z")
I’m arriving way too late to be a chucklehead, so I’ll just give it to you straight. Deal with five corn tortillas at a time. Put them on a large dinner plate that will fit in your microwave. You can overlap them. (Unless you have a favorite tortilleria near you, for enchiladas, Mission is the best major manufacturer.) Pour water onto each of the tortillas until they’re wet with beads of water. A spray bottle will also work as long as you get them wet enough for the water to bead. Place a moist paper towel over the tortillas. Micro on high for 45 seconds. A 13 x 9 glass casserole dish will easily hold two rows of five enchiladas. You’ll be making the two rows across the width of the rectangular dish, leaving spaces at the margins for extra saucy goodness. Pretend you’re laying out five tacos. “U” them up and they’ll be a tight fit across the width of the pan, but they’ll be easy to open and stuff. Working one shell at a time, put in your meat/cheese, roll, then top with sauce. About the sauce: make sure you’ve heated it before you try and work with it. The sauce should be warm and fairly thin. Proceed to the next shell in the row. Once you’ve done one row of five shells, repeat the whole process for the second row. Fill in any gaps with extra sauce, top with fresh cheese and chopped chives. This is a method created and perfected by my lovely wife. Happily, (and not-so-coincidentally), we will be enjoying her world-famous “soy beef” enchiladas tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/15 "2004-11-15T23:26:41Z")
> [@El Cid Viscoso](#): > > Pretend you’re laying out five tacos. “U” them up and they’ll be a tight fit across the width of the pan, but they’ll be easy to open and stuff. > > Working one shell at a time, put in your meat/cheese, roll, then top with sauce. About the sauce: make sure you’ve heated it before you try and work with it. The sauce should be warm and fairly thin. > > Proceed to the next shell in the row. Once you’ve done one row of five shells, repeat the whole process for the second row. Fill in any gaps with extra sauce, top with fresh cheese and chopped chives. So you don’t roll them? They stay in the “U” shape? ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/16 "2004-11-15T23:54:00Z")
I’d also suggest adding sliced olives to **El Cid Viscoso**. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/17 "2004-11-15T23:57:13Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > So you don’t roll them? They stay in the “U” shape? Oh no, one shell at a time, you should put in your meat/cheese, roll it up, then top with sauce. My wife kind of smears the sauce around like she’s spackling. Though still thin, it glues the rolled shells very nicely. Sorry if I wasn’t clear. But thank you for the thread; you’re largely responsible for the delicious dinner I’m about to eat! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/18 "2004-11-16T00:04:46Z")
> [@Stuffy](#): > > I’d also suggest adding sliced olives to **El Cid Viscoso**. Yes, i’ve heard he tastes better that way! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/19 "2004-11-16T00:05:42Z")
> [@El Cid Viscoso](#): > > I’m arriving way too late to be a chucklehead, so I’ll just give it to you straight. Huhuhuhuhuhuhuh. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875/20 "2004-11-16T00:15:12Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yes, i’ve heard he tastes better that way! > > 😃 Err…I meant to his recipe :o [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-keep-my-enchilada-firm/274875.md?page=2)