How to prevent soggy enchiladas?!
How to prevent soggy enchiladas?
I make chicken enchiladas with verde sauce and beef and cheese with red sauce for my large family and friends. I have been using flour, but I am not opposed to corn if it will completely cure sogginess. I have not done anything to the tortillas, just take them out of the package and stuff and roll seam side down on a dish lightly coated with sauce. When the tins are filled, I then freeze them for future reheating and consumption. I have read about "softening" the tortillas which supposedly prevents them from becoming soggy. The 1st method frying them in oil about 5 seconds per side and setting on paper towels, The second said you could spray both sides of tortillas with cooking oil spray and place in a plastic tortilla warmer and heat in microwave on high for 45 seconds until very hot. My question is does softening REALLY prevent soggy textured enchiladas, AND do corn or flour tortillas make a difference? HELP!
Answers:
Well, I am not 100% sure of an answer for you but here are some thoughts:
1) I make enchiladas w/ corn and flour and find that usually the flour ones do tend to get a bit more soggy. I like them for chicken better though.
2) Try not to use too much sauce on the bottom of your casserole pan, and cover them, but don't drown them in it.
3) I have dipped the tortillas in hot oil and found it to be fine. Don't notice that much of a difference (however I don't make them that often to see difference) but I guess the sauce wouldn't absorb quite so much into them then.
4) Are you letting them cool sufficiently before refrigerating/freezing? Maybe this could be a solution.
Sorry I didn't have very much info for you....Good luck!
Ingredients:
? 1 Whole Chicken
? 4 Fresh Tomatillos
? 2 Fresh Jalapenos
? 2 White Onions
? 2 Tsp Sugar (to taste)
? 1 Bunch Cilantro
? 4 Cloves Garlic
? 1 Can Chopped Olives
? 1 Large Block Monterey Jack Cheese(Shredded)
? 1 Dozen Flour Tortillas
? 1 Large Can Green Chilies
? Salt & Pepper
? Sour Cream
Method:
Boil chicken until for tender. Let cool; shred chicken from bone (exclude fat and skin) and set aside. While boiling chicken, start large pot with boiling water and add 6 tbsp salt. Wash tomatillos to remove skins and add to pot of salt water with garlic, onions (sliced in half only), and jalapenos (sliced from stem to bottom). When tomatillos rise to the top of the pot and change to a dull color, remove all ingredients from pot into large bowl (remove tops and stems of jalapeno peppers). Add hald of this mixture to blender with half of the sugar and cilantro; blend into puree, adding 1/2 cup of salt water mixture to blender with each batch. Blend other half set aside. Mix chicken, green chilies, salt, and pepper to taste. Heat tortillas until soft and easy to roll. Pour small amount of sauce into bottom of large baking dish (enough to coat the bottom). Put chicken filling into tortilla with a small amount of cheese and roll. Place into the baking dish, seam side down. Continue this until dish is full. Enchiladas can be close together. Pour sauce over top of enchiladas (smothered but not drowned). Place remaining cheese on top of enchiladas and sprinkle a liberal amount of chopped olives on top. Bake in oven on 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with cool sour cream on the side.
the tortillas are a big thing iwhen making enchiladas. the way i have always made them is with corn, mainly because there is no flour in them to get soggyand the references you found i do do one of them and thats the first one of fring them for about 5-10 seconds. i hope this helps you and good luck.