Cheese Enchiladas With Homemade Chili Gravy

Bowl o' spices.

The roux.......

Once you have cooked the roux for 5 minutes or so, add the bowl o' spices and cook another 5 minutes until fragrant.

The finished sauce...yummy.

After putting about 1/2 a cup of sauce in bottom of a 13x9 inch pan, start assembling enchiladas, placing seam side down.  These babies are stuffed with cheese and finely diced onion.

Ready for the oven, sprinkle with more cheese and more diced onion.

I did alter the original recipe a bit.  First off, I double the recipe because we like to eat...one pan was not enough.  I also reduce the salt and cumin a bit and it was still very well seasoned. The recipe below will make about 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 cups sauce.

Chili Gravy

• 1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)
• 2 tablespoons dark chili powder
• 2 cups chicken broth

Make a roux with vegetable oil and flour.  Cooking for about 5 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant.  Add spices and continue stirring for another minute.  Add chicken broth, stirring to prevent lumps.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.  It's that simple.  You now have homemade enchilada sauce, which will taste at least 1000 times better than anything in a can.

Enchiladas

• 12 to 14 homemade tortillas, but I suppose store bought if you must
• 3 plus cups cheese
• Diced onion, I like a lot, do what you like...maybe none.
• Chili gravy

Pour about 1/2 a cup of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Begin assembling enchiladas.  My tortillas were nice and soft because I had just made them so they were no problem to roll.  If your tortillas are a little stiff, warm them slightly (in microwave or in frying pan) to soften to they don't crack and break during assembly. Once your pan is stuffed full of enchiladas, pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with more cheese and onions.  Bake at 450 for 20 or so minutes, until sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.