By Kelly Bogard

Tex-Mex…most Texans have a special place in their heart for it. Salsa, guacamole, fajitas—yum! For as long as I can remember, Mexican food has been a regular part of my diet. Friday nights, my entire family (parents, siblings, husband, child, the occasional friend with nothing to do) gets together to share a meal. I can scientifically tell you that 75 percent of the time we have Mexican food.

With fall and (hopefully) cooler weather approaching, today I’m sharing my Three Cheese Enchiladas that are sure to have you asking for seconds.

three cheese enchilada ingredientsFor Three Cheese Enchiladas,
you will need…

3 cups Monterey or pepper jack cheese, shredded
1-1/2 cups Colby cheese, shredded
1/2 cup crumbled Chihuahua or Queso Fresco cheese
1 bunch green onions
2 cans chopped black olives
2 tsp. ground cumin
3-4 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 can enchilada sauce
18-20 corn tortillas

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse and rough chop your green onions. Set aside. 

Next, dump all of your cheeses into the biggest bowl in your kitchen. You’ll need to break up the Queso Fresco. Give it a couple of good tosses with your hands to get it combined well.

cheese

Now mix in your green onions, olives and cumin with the cheeses.

cheese mixture

In a small sauce pan, heat 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

While the vegetable oil is getting nice and warm, pour the enchilada sauce into a deep plate. (I like using a pie plate.)

enchilada sauce

Once your oil is hot, slide a tortilla in and let it sizzle for a few seconds. Then flip to the other side using tongs. Be careful not to overcook—you’re not making tortilla chips! Remove the tortilla from the oil and place on a plate. Repeat this step until all of the tortillas are heated.

frying tortilla

Next, dip one side of a tortilla in the enchilada sauce. Place it on a flat surface, sauce-side up, and fill with the cheese mixture. Roll it up and place it seam-side down in a casserole dish. Continue this process until your dish is full of your handmade enchiladas. Tip: The enchiladas cook better if you push them together.

rolled enchiladas

Now cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and then with the extra cheese mixture.

prepared three cheese enchiladas

Cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. While they are cooking, you can put together side dishes like beans and rice to complete your Tex-Mex feast.

With the weather turning cooler soon, now is the perfect time to start thinking about heating up your kitchen again. From all of us at Texas Table Top, enjoy!

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Recipe: Three Cheese Enchiladas

SummaryCheesy enchiladas with olives and green onions

Enchilada Dinner

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Monterey or pepper jack cheese, shredded
  • 1-1/2 cups Colby cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Chihuahua or Queso Fresco cheese
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 2 cans chopped black olives
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 3-4 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 can enchilada sauce
  • 18-20 corn tortillas

   

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Rinse and chop green onions, discarding the root end.
  • Mix the jack and Colby cheeses with the onions, olives and cumin in a large bowl.
  • In a small sauce pan coated with 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, slide in one tortilla at a time and coat. Flip with tongs. Make sure that the tortilla is only in the oil for a few seconds per side. Repeat until all tortillas are heated.
  • Pour the enchilada sauce into a wide bowl or plate.
  • To assemble, dip a tortilla in the enchilada sauce on one side, lay it sauce-side up and fill with about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and a little Chihuahua or Queso Fresco cheese.
  • Roll the tortilla and place in a greased casserole dish, seam-side down.
  • Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese mixture.
  • Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

  

Cooking time (duration): 45 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 6-8

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