the recipe that will change your life: Green Chile Pork Enchiladas

Oh my word... these 'ladas were so much better than I expected.  The meat makes a huge difference, and coupled with the creamy queso fresco, sharp chedder, and tangy green chile sauce...  WOW.  Just, wow.  Uz, our resident Mexican in the house, claims these are his new favorite enchiladas.

Not bad for a white girl.

Anyway, on to the recipe and pictures.

Green Chile Pork Enchiladas

Adapted from Accidental Mommies
Serves: 12
Stats: 190 cals

2 c. pork carnitas meat (1/2 of the original recipe)
4 oz can chopped green chiles
3/4 c. crumbled queso fresco (or feta or goat cheese... any soft cheese should do)
at least 1/2 c. cilantro
12 6-in corn tortillas
2 - 2.5 c. green chile enchilada sauce (I love using Frontera when I'm in a hurry)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (or any Mexican cheese mix)
optional:  1 c. cooked white navy beans (not included in stats)

Preheat the oven to 425 deg F.

Heat up the pork.  In a large mixing bowl, combine queso fresco, chopped green chiles, cilantro, pork, and 1/2 c. enchilada sauce.  If you're using beans, add them here to the mix.  Make sure it's mixed well and evenly.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place tortillas on it and lightly spray with a little more cooking spray.  Stick in the oven for 2-4 minutes.  This will make the tortillas pliant so they don't break when you try to roll them.  You could also do this on a skillet with a little bit of cooking spray, but the oven method is faster and lets you do more at a time.

Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup mixture down the center of a tortilla.  Wrap, and place seam-side down in a large 8x12 baking pan.  Continue to do so with 12 tortillas, placing them close together in the dish.

Heat oven to 450 deg. F.

Separate 1/2 c. enchilada sauce.  Use the rest of the enchilada sauce to cover the enchiladas in the baking dish.  Top with 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese.

Wrap foil on the top of the baking dish, and bake for 10 minutes.  Take the foil off and bake for another 5, or until cheese is melted.

While the enchiladas are baking, heat up the remaining 1/2 c. enchilada sauce.  Remove from the oven and top with the warmed enchilada sauce.

Again, this was such a good meal.  I had two enchiladas, and my husband also had two with a side of latin yellow rice.  He's requested that we have these again soon...  and I can't argue with that!

They don't look as pretty here because it's hard to get them out of the dish without breaking them...  but what they don't have in beauty, they sure make up in taste!

Bon appétit!  Actually, that's French.  I guess ¡Buen provecho! or ¡Buen apetito! is a little more appropriate.