Right now I’m sitting in a white rocking chair, enjoying the dappled sunlight streaming in through the branches of a tree. There’s a cool glass of water by my side and there’s even a steady rush of people walking by that I can people watch (am I the only creepy people watcher??) Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram (Side note: Almost every time I take a flight somewhere, I hear people chatting around me. They’ll be like, “yeah Sacramento blah blah blah…” and I’ll think to myself, hey! I live in Sacramento too! What a coincidence! Until I remember that everyone was in Sacramento an hour ago, because that’s where we got on the airplane. I’m an idiot. This is the same excitement I feel when I send myself an email, and then check my email. Hey! Someone sent me an email! Oh whoops no just me, hi Karen from the past.) My parents are coming too, and we are going to spend some time in DC and Williamsburg. Eric has never been east of Pennsylvania, so this is all a first for him! We’re so excited, but I think the kids are even more excited that they get to stay home and do crafts with Eric’s mom. If you have any food recommendations or cool spots we should see, let me know! We managed to get a tour of the Capitol building, I’m super excited about that! I can hear you saying, “but why not use a can of sauce,” and you are so right, the can wins sometimes. But this sauce is super easy and the flavor is totally worth it! Really. This isn’t one of those times when the food blogger is like, “it’s so easy, all you have to do is whisk nonstop for 45 minutes! Oh and make sure you simultaneously pat your head and rub your tummy clockwise, otherwise it will be a TOTAL FAILURE!” You can use regular chili powder in this recipe, but it won’t be the same. Did you know that regular ol’ chili powder from the spice aisle has salt in it? And other spices too, including garlic? I’m not complaining, it’s delicious, but it’s not going to give you that pure flavor we want for this recipe. If you decide to use it, omit the salt from the recipe and add to taste. Here’s a quick list of everything you’ll need to make this enchilada sauce. I bet you already have a lot of these ingredients in your pantry! The New Mexican chili powder and chipotle chili powder are totally worth buying if you don’t already have them.
Don’t skip the special chili powder. I mean, technically you can, and it will still be great enchilada sauce. But New Mexican chili powder and chipotle chili powder pack such a punch and add depths of flavor regular chili powder can’t touch. Thin the sauce as desired. If your sauce is pretty thick, add a little more chicken or vegetable broth to thin it to your desired consistency. Make extra to have on hand. I don’t know about you but Future Me loves it when Past Me makes extra food for her to use. A freezer bag of this enchilada sauce makes dinner a heck of a lot faster when I forget about it again…dinner, I mean. You know. That thing that I have to do every day.
So. Any guesses what recipe I’m going to post next? Hint: it involves this red sauce + sweet potatoes + black beans. Get excited!! (Update: check out these Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas, so good!)
How long does enchilada sauce last in the fridge?
Enchilada sauce is good for up to a week in the fridge.
Can you freeze enchilada sauce?
Yes, you can freeze it for 2-3 months. Throw it in a (labeled!) ziplock or any tupperware. Thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to use it.
Make a burrito and drench it in this sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, pop it in the oven for 10 minutes (or until the cheese melts) and eat with a fork. Use the enchilada sauce in place of tomato sauce on your next pizza. For toppings, use rotisserie chicken, jalapenos, diced tomatoes, even black beans! Drizzle it on top of tamales. Yum…. Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas, a vegetarian delight. You won’t miss the meat, I promise (this is coming from a total carnivore).
Chicken Enchilada Soup « This is basically one of my all time favorite soups! Aunt Shirley’s Creamy Chicken Enchiladas « if it’s Aunt Shirley’s, you know it’s amazing Christmas Style Enchiladas from The Goldilocks Kitchen Enchiladas Verde de Pollo from Kevin is Cooking Honey Citrus Chicken Enchiladas from Tastefully Frugal
