MAMA RITA’S RECIPE COLLECTION

Red Chile Cheese Enchiladas

Enchiladas rojas saladas

Soft corn tortillas, red chile sauce, and a simple cheese filling—the savory enchiladas in the collection, with workable sauce proportions.

From the family’s collected recipes · English home-kitchen adaptation

Ingredients

12 corn tortillas
60 g dried red chiles: guajillo, ancho, or a mixture, stemmed and seeded
2 garlic cloves
1½ cups water or unsalted broth, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon fine salt, then adjust; a pinch of black pepper
300 g queso fresco or mild Chihuahua cheese, crumbled or grated
¼ white onion, finely chopped, optional
3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
Optional: 1 teaspoon masa harina mixed with 1 tablespoon water, only if sauce needs thickening

Make the sauce.

Briefly warm chiles on a dry comal without scorching. Soak in hot water 20 minutes; drain. Blend with garlic, broth, salt, and pepper until very smooth, then strain if skins remain.
Simmer.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan, carefully add sauce, and simmer 8–10 minutes. It should coat a spoon lightly, not resemble paste. Add water to thin, or the optional masa slurry and cook 3–5 minutes if unusually watery.
Soften and fill.

Warm remaining oil in a skillet. Quickly pass each tortilla through the hot oil, using just enough to keep it flexible. Dip in warm sauce, add cheese and optional onion, then fold or roll. Keep warm while finishing the batch.
Serve.

Spoon remaining sauce over the enchiladas and scatter any remaining cheese on top. Serve immediately with beans and a crisp salad.

Queso fresco gives a crumbly filling; Chihuahua cheese gives a melting one. Both work, with different results.

For cooked dishes, cool promptly and follow the storage and reheating guide. Follow the shorter storage directions above where given.