A Taste of Latino Influence

I grew up in a small Kansas City Kansas town called Argentine. My neighborhood was rich in Latino heritage and tradition.  Every year there was a fabulous Latino Festival in a park near the center of town, where you could get the best tamales in the state. I grew up eating Perez taco shells, and Spanish Gardens (a locally made taco sauce) was a household name. My favorite Mexican restaurant called Mi Familias, was nothing more than a small authentic restaurant in downtown Argentine with about ten tables. The only way I can now have a taste of my childhood is when I get a special package in the mail from my step dad, Ken, with some taco shells, sauce, and seasoning from back home. Perhaps all of this rich culture has greatly influenced my dinners as an adult. We still have tacos almost once a week, and when I feel like really digging in to some REAL GOOD food, I will spend about an hour or more preparing a homemade enchilada recipe that, although we never wrote it down, it is nestled deep in my heart and soul. I learned this recipe from Ken, whom I love just like a dad to this day. I usually make two trays and freeze on for later.  We never measured anything, so if you recreate this one, have fun with the spices and ingredients because I know I never make it the same way twice. :)

Ken's Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

• 4-5 cups of shredded cooked chicken (I now buy a rotissarie chicken and shred it)
• 2-3 large cans of enchilada sauce
• 1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese (you may want 2 just in case), shredded
• 1 large pack of corn tortillas (you will have some left over)
• ground corriander
• ground cumin
• chili powder
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, diced and cooked until translucent
• 2 cans of green chilis

 Start by making your own seasoning mix: mix corriander, cumin, chili powder, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper. (decide on your own amounts) Mix the shredded chicken,cooked onions, 1 can green chilis, 2 to 3 tablespoons of your seasoning mix, and about a cup of enchilada sauce.  

Cover the bottom of two long baking dishes with enchilada sauce (like your making a nice bed for your enchiladas)

Use a medium skillet to warm about two cups of enchilada sauce, which is for dipping the tortillas in before you stuff them and roll them. (As you deplete the sauce add more during assembly)

Set up an assembly line with shredded cheese, tortillas, chicken mixture, and your pan with the warm sauce....

start by dipping a corn tortilla in the warmed sauce (don't get it too hot, or your tortillas will fall apart) Just leave them in there long enough to cover both sides of the tortilla and warm it slightly. This makes it more pliable.

Next, lay your tortilla in the bottom of the baking dish add a few tablespoons of chicken mixture and top with some cheese. Then, roll the enchilada. (don't be too upset if you break a few, even veteran enchilada makers break a few.)  Continue until your pan is filled with enchiladas....assemble more and fill your other pan. Sometimes I make three pans and just make cheese enchiladas in the last pan. If you decide to do this use the other can of chilis and slice one pound of the cheese into rectangles. Fill the tortillas with a rectangle of cheese and some green chilis...

After your pans are filled with assembled enchiladas pour a generous amount of enchilada sauce over the top and top with the remaining shredded cheese...

bake them at 350 for about 30-40 minutes (they will be bubbly) I usually cover them with foil for most of the cooking time and uncover for the last 10 minutes... 

If you want to freeze them, cover them with foil and a lid before baking....put them in the freezer until you are ready to bake them. Let them thaw in the fridge during the day, and bake in the evening.

I love this recipe, and now that I have typed it up...it is a labor intensive task, but let me just tell you~it is WELL worth the work! ;) 

I learned how to cook in the kitchen where I first made these, and I guess that is  also where my love of cooking began to grow! I think I also learned the importance of cooking with your kids; you are creating memories which will never be forgotten.