How to make Enchiladas with Red Sauce

This is my great grandmothers recipe and has not changed much since the early 20th century.

When you grow up in a Latin family there are going to be a lot of people, and as a result, even more food. When we would get together all the classics were accounted for and each family unit sort of had their own specialty. There were Tía Juana's tamales, Prima Rosa's fresh baked bolillos, Tío Juan's tacos de barbacoa, Abuela Araceli's Sunday menudo was an absolute treat, the list goes on and on. However, the most beloved of all recipes, the one that brings long lost primos out of the woodwork, are Abuelita María Isabel's Enchiladas Rojas.

These are not the enchiladas that you get at that Tex-Mex restaurant on the corner, with greasy cheese spilling out of their dried ends and sauce that tastes like it comes out of a can.

Her sauce has that distinct flavor of dried chiles that can only come from the fresh ones that are still flexible without shattering. It's creaminess merges with the cheese and coats the tortillas without making them soggy and is sublime combined with the tangy chicken filling or the sharpness of the cheddar.

The gentle snap of the tortillas mixed with the soft squish of the cheese or chicken filling is a textural dream! Not to mention the absolute perfect combination of flavors.

These enchiladas are too good to keep to ourselves. So here is the recipe for Abuelita María Isabel's Enchiladas Rojas!