Oh YUM!

What is the heat level on these? I KNOW I would love them, but have to please the bland one, you know!

Thinking they would be fairly mild with Anaheims and only one jalapeno. And of course I could adjust the heat by subbing a different pepper for the jalapeno, I suppose...

I prefer corn tortillas over flour, so I have a feeling these will be on the menu very soon!

Linda

Linda,

You get it. These are also known as chilaquiles. They are perhaps my favorite Mexican dish. OK, that's too rash. But they are very good.. They are wonderful at any time of day. They make an excellent for breakfast, for example, on the week-end or special occasion.

Jim

Linda,

You get it. These are also known as chilaquiles. They are perhaps my favorite Mexican dish. OK, that's too rash. But they are very good.. They are wonderful at any time of day. They make an excellent for breakfast, for example, on the week-end or special occasion.

Jim

Linda, I actually ended up adding some of the seeds from the poblanos to increase the heat. I did add the one jalapeno, without seeds. I'm not sure of the difference in heat between poblanos, anaheims or mexican greens...I'll be making them again soon, will wanted them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. :-)

Looks like a versatile recipe, good way to use up chicken!

For added heat, would you want to consider chipotles?

Stacy, I'm glad you like that recipe. I'm sure it was just as good with flour tortillas.

As Jessica mentioned, it really is versatile. I've made it with chicken and with pork chili verde between layers.

Jessica, there are a lot of peppers that could be added for more heat, but if you used chipotles they are going to add a smokey flavour that for me wouldn't go with the green chili sauce. But, that is just me, it might very well appeal to others.

Oh yeah, Elery would love these. I'm going to his house for the weekend, I'll stop at Horrock's on the way home and pick up chilies and tomatillos, he'll be here next weekend.

Annie

Jessica, I agree with Ann...chipotles have their place and I love them too, but the smokiness might overpower the other great flavors - that green chile sauce just shines

:-)

...I'd just save the jalapeno seeds and if it's not hot enough, add some of those.

Speaking of versatility, these can be meatless also, in which case they are simply cheese chilaquiles. A dollop of sour cream is a nice garnish.

Incidentally, while I have had chilaquiles made in individual servings like Ann's, they are often made in a large baking pan like lasagna. And the tortillas are normally cut up in quarters before frying. But those are insignificant differences.

I wouldn't encourage subbing flour tortillas for corn however, any more than I would want Doritos made from wheat flour. But then, I AM a corn tortilla fan. :-)

BTW, by subbing poblano chiles, you made your chilaquiles just a bit more authentically Mexican. In Mexico, poblanos would be used, although any mild green chiles are pretty much interchangeable. To make the sauce more picante, add more jalpenos or serranos.

Jim

I forgot to say that chilaquiles, like enchiladas, can be made with red chile sauce as well as green. More versatility!

Jim

Jim the original recipe is "meatless" and that is the way I make these most of the time. And I know what you mean about corn tortillas. They are my favourite too. Especially homemade corn tortillas. But I know that they are not everyone's favourite. If I was ever tempted to use flour tortillas in this dish I would fry them first.

Ann

i did fry them and how yummy it made them!

"Especially homemade corn tortillas."

You can say that again! Manufactured tortillas are totally different from homemade. Homemade corn tortillas have a pocket, like pita bread, because they puff while baking. Manufactured tortillas don't. Manufactured tortillas lack the freckles and charred spots of the homemade ones. The manufactured ones are not fit to be eaten plain, as a bread. Homemade tortillas are. And does the house smell good while they are being baked!

The knack of making them is easy to learn. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to cook Mexican food.

Jim

That recipes sounds really good.

Jimster, that doesn't sound like the chilaquiles I have eaten or seen recipes for. The ones I'm talking about have a red sauce instead of green and are usually made with stale or leftover tortilla chips. Or if you don't have those you usually cut the tortillas in pieces and fry them before making the chilaquiles. Of course I'm no Mexican specialist, maybe you have lived in Mexico before?

I've only seen chilaquiles made from flour tortillas that were rolled with a filling and then fried (I believe deep fried). In Mexico City, I would always go to a tortilla factory to get tortillas, and I would buy them right after they were made and still warm. There are lots of these factories on the street, and I would just go up to their window to buy them. My friends would buy tortillas daily (or have their maids buy them), and so there was no need to make them at home. The flour tortillas I have found at HEB stores in Texas are also extremely fresh and generally still warm when I find them on the shelves. I've made corn tortillas from fresh masa, and they were no better than what I bought on the street in Mexico City. As for factory flour tortillas - the ones that Trader Joe's sells are the best I've found in California, but they must be refrigerated. I also vacuum seal them, which helps.

Lars

Lars and Beverly,

Might you be thinking of chimichangas, not chilaquiles?

Jim

Beverly,

I reread your messaage and it seems you are talking about red chilaquiles. Didn't I mention that as an option? Most I have made or eaten were green and, as Ann says, meatless. But red would be yummy too.

Jim

I bought what I needed to make these, and decided to high heat roast a chicken for dinner tonight and then make the stacked enchiladas with the leftover chicken tomorrow night.

I'll report back...maybe even withpictures, ya never know!

Linda

Linda,

Was it a success? Did you get pics It's good you have the leftover chicken to work with.

Lars,

Your comments add an important perspective to the tortilla picture.. I had written a reply about it which somehow was deleted as I get accustomed to a new computer and a new connection to the Internet.

In Mexico, California or the Southwest I know you can buy good corn tortillas. Here in the Northeast the commercial ones don't resemble a real tortilla and are far from fresh. They are shrink wrapped in plastic and sit on the store shelf for untold days. They are thick and dense. They are barely usable for cooking and totally unsuitable for eating out of hand. It's not surprising that so many Americans avoid tortillas, although I think they miss the point by using flour tortillas in things like enchiladas. Anyway, for some of us, baking our own is the best solution. For those who are luckier, enjoy!

Beverly,

My reply to your question went missing also.

No, I haven't lived in Mexico, although I have seriously considered it. My interest in Mexico comes mostly from travelling around the Republic on several trips starting in the 1970's. Mexico is a very interesting place to travel, The food which is thought of as Mexican in the U.S. (tacos, burritos, enchiladas) is merely the tip of the iceberg of Mexican cuisine. I enjoy exploring out-of-the-way places such as Teotitlan del Valle, which is maybe where Lars bought rugs, or Miahautlan, where a gringo such as myself is seen as a curiosity by the locals (and greeted happily, by the way). I also enjoy larger cities such as Queretaro, which are not noted as tourist destinations. It's surprising how interesting and entertaining a place can be which has not been intentionally made for visitors. This thread has got me thinking again about how much I want to return.

Jim

I made them last night. I had the camera ready, but didn't take a photo because, like many of my dishes, they tasted WAY better then they looked! LOL

Delicious, Thanks Ann! Even Tim cleaned his plate! I used one jalapeno and two anaheims as called for and the chili sauce was very flavorful but not overly hot. He loved it and so did I. I could only eat half of one, tho. It's a very large serving. Especially because I served with a side of Woodie's Mexican Black Beans which I have come to love!

Jim, I have visited several areas of Mexico, too and I agree with your comments on the food. The best Mexican meal I ever had was in Monterrey. It was roasted chicken with a prickly pear cactus sauce at a restaurant calle Pollo El Palenque. Fabulous!

Linda

Linda, I'm glad to hear you like this so well, I bought tomatillos and anaheim peppers today, so I'll make them next weekend for Elery.

I also stopped in Lansing and bought fresh tortillas, made right there and made fresh daily, very thin and pliable. I'm still not crazy over corn tortillas, I liek the flour ones better, but these are better than most.

Annie

You're lucky to have those good corn tortillas in Michigan, Annie. Enjoy them.

Incidentally, for serving as bread at the table, tortillas should be warmed and served in a tortilla warmer. Tortilla warmers are made of every imaginable material from pottery to fabric. As well as being functional, they can be an attractive addition to the table setting. Mine are inexpensive plaited baskets I bought in a Mexican market.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Tortilla Warmers

Gina gave me a tortilla warmer in one of our swaps. I love it. It keeps the tortillas hot for hours.

If anyone is interested in making homemade corn tortillas here is a pictorial outlining the steps.

Corn Tortilla Pictorial

That is a wonderful pictorial, Ann. Your photography is so good I can fairly smell the tortillas.

Jim

Jim, I know I'm lucky to have fresh tortillas here in Michigan. In fact, I'm kind of surprised at the number of things available locally, if I look for them.

Being a largely agricultural area, we have a large hispanic population and they aren't all migrants, some are permanent residents. We have several small hispanic groceries and restaurants, and can get things like fresh tortillas or hand made tamales. In fact, I had an intern whose came from Mexico with her parents and her mother used to send in tamales. They were so popular that the intern started making extra money by taking orders for them by the dozen. My girls loved them, me not so much, I don't care for the masa.

Annie

Now that you mention it, I've noticed an influx of Mexican immigrants in Southern Ohio, resulting in many authentic Mexican stores and restaurants appearing. I haven't noticed it in Michigan because I haven't been to Michigan in several years. Around here the immigrants are most often Brazilian.

Jim

Jim, I think that's one of the real benefits of having so many different ethnic backgrounds here, we can take the best of all the foods and call them our own!

Annie

What? No photo of the enchilada's?

well, hgtvme, I can't believe you made me go looking on ann's blog for a pic, and now I am drooling over sooo many things...:-)

I actually made these again and loved them just as much.

It doesn't get any better than this!

I hope you don't mind that I posted your photo Ann. Mine wouldn't have been nearly as gorgeous - even if I had taken the time to take one. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: