Chef Tess Bakeresse™ Instant Fiesta Enchilada Sauce Mix for Food Storage

Monday is the day I usually share some money saving delicious recipes for food storage and everday meal convenience. Enjoy!

Enchilada sauce from a can is usually flat and bland. It also costs from 2-4$ depending on the brand. I've struggled with that as I try to explain to folks that the sauce will make or break your Mexican dishes. This is a great sauce made from food storage powders that you can make and store 7-10 years and cost less than 25 cents to make 4 cups! It's a longer shelf life, cheaper, and tastes better. Um...win, win, win!!! I served a version of this at my Cinco De Mayo class. For those in the class who I told, "I'm not giving out this recipe ever." Just know that this is not my gourmet recipe. This is a milder version with a few different twists. It is still wonderful, but I do have some core recipes I don't share. I don't share my spice blend recipes. I've never shared my "real" sauces. I share close versions but not the actual ones.  Yes, for the same reason I haven't given out my spice line recipes. I'm allowed to have something that I hold sacred right? I'm actually pretty much full-disclosure on recipes in general. This version is close, with some minor adjustments. Most of the adjustments are in the seasoning...but this sauce will still knock your socks off! I also need to say "Thank You" to Honeyville for the food storage ingredients they provided for this post! You guys are the best! I have loved writing their food storage cookbook! If all goes well, by the way, that should be out before Christmas. EEeee! So excited!!

My enchilada sauce is actually a cross between a Mole Sauce and an Enchilada sauce. It's pretty unique. I don't use fruit or nuts that are usually found in mole, but I do use some hints of cocoa, sweet spices and hot beautiful Ancho Chili peppers. My husband Ace drinks this stuff like a smoothie. I'm not claiming he's all that bright, but he's a die-hard fan of this stuff. He has it over his bean burritos "enchilada style". It's evil delicious. Do you want to make it with us? Okay. The funniest part of this recipe is really convincing folks that the dry stuff will really be amazing! But I promise...even if it starts looking like this:

It ends up like this:

It spreads on like this:

Usually I will fresh grind all my dry spices, so the flavor is really pronounced and fresh. This is actually what will set your enchilada sauce apart as remarkable! If you use the pre-ground spices, take the time to smell your spices and make sure they smell very fresh. If the containers smell "dusty" instead of the smell of the ground spice, then no amount of simmering will make that spice taste like a spice. It has lost its essence. Throw the bottle away and get a new one. This recipe will make enough for one mix. Each mix will make 4 cups of sauce, equal to 2 (15 oz) cans of red enchilada sauce. Do the math. It's much less expensive! Yes, initially I did have to invest in the powdered tomato and onion and seasonings. If you want the orginal recipe not for food storage go here.
Chef TessBakeresse™ Instant Fiesta Enchilada Sauce Mix
1/4 cup Honeyville all purpose flour
3T Freeze Dried Onion
1/4 cup tomato powder
3T -4T ground ancho chile powder(this is from 1-2 dried poblano chilies and is not chili powder)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried Mexican Oregano
1/4 tsp Chef Tess Wise Woman of The East Spice Blend ( or Saigon cinnamon)
1T Chef Tess Fajita Seasoning
1T baking cocoa (not hot chocolate)
1T plus 1 tsp chicken bouillon (I like the no msg versions)
1 tsp lime juice powder (optional but really adds some good depth)

Directions:  Combine all ingredients well.

 The mix will fit in a half pint mason jar. If you use a 50cc oxygen absorber and home vacuum-seal the jars, they are shelf stable 7-10 years. If you don't use an oxygen absorber, and just hand seal them, they are still good up to 2 years. You can also just put the mixes in sandwhich baggies and put the bags in a larger rubber-maid style storage container with the directions for use on the container.  I'm not checking your cupboards. Do what you want. I already have a bazillion jars so it's a no-brainer for me to make the mix and keep it on hand for when I want to make enchiladas.
To prepare sauce:
In a gallon size pot, combine the enchilada sauce mixture with 4 cups of  cool water. Whisk well. Simmer 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and lightly covers the back of a spoon. I don't make my sauce super thick because well...who likes enchilada pudding? Yikes.  Use right away for homemade enchiladas.

To make into enchiladas using only food storage you will need:
2 dozen corn tortillas (you can make your own with my homemade corn tortilla tutorial)
 2 cups freeze dried ground beef (or 1 lb fresh ground beef, browned and drained)
1/2 cup Freeze Dried Onion
2 tsp garlic powder
1T Chef Tess Fajita Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese

Combine the beef, onion, garlic powder, and seasoning in a medium size bowl. Cover with 1 1/2 cup hot water and let sit about 5 minutes until beef is hydrated. Another fast favorite is to just use my favorite taco TVP for vegetarian husband...who frankly can't tell the difference between it and beef.
You will need a 10 inch skillet filled with water. Add 1tsp salt to the water. Here's the deal. I soften my tortillas in a simmering skillet of lightly salted water. This is not traditional, but there are some who use a hot oil to soften the tortillas. Frankly I need the lower fat version.

Put one cup of the prepared enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 casserole.

Soften a tortilla in the hot water, about 30 seconds. Don't go too long or it will get too mushy to work with.

Fill with some meat mixture and roll.

Put them in your pan seam side down and tuck them tightly together.

When all the rolls are done, top with the remaining sauce.

Lightly mist the freeze dried cheese with a little water. It will hydrate in 3-5 minutes. Water must be cold!  Sprinkle enchiladas with cheese (I used cheddar and some parmesan) and bake at 375 degrees 25-30 minutes uncovered.

Cheese will melt and get gooey. Use caution when scooping the molten cheese beauty into your mouth. Seriously. Dangling cheese from your lips is sooo unprofessional. Hilarious yes.

Scoop onto festive plates and drip any extra sauce from the pan onto the enchiladas.

Enjoy.

There you go! Make some crazy delicious enchiladas using your food storage!  Happy Monday!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess