For most Western New York families, money is tight and taking the family out for a Mexican dinner isn’t an option. Save money by making your own Mexican meal of chicken or beef enchiladas at home. Make your own red enchilada sauce.
You can use your enchilada sauce to make delicious chicken enchiladas or creamy chicken enchiladas. Serve with Spanish rice, baked tortilla chips, homemade salsa, lower calorie guacamole and lower fat refried beans.
Make your own fresh homemade tortillas for the baked tortilla chips and enchiladas.
Red enchilada sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. red, yellow or Spanish onion, very finely chopped
- 2 to 4 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried crushed oregano
- 1/4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups water
Directions:
- In large saucepan, heat oil and saute onions until very soft.
- Add 2 to 3 Tbsp. chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cocoa powder, tomato paste and enough water to make the sauce smooth.
- Simmer on low heat, stirring to keep smooth, add more water if needed. The red enchilada sauce should be thicker than spaghetti sauce, but not as thick as the tomato paste.
- Add another 1 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder, depending on the level of heat you want in your red enchilada sauce.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, until flavors blend completely.
- Yield: approximately 3 cups red enchilada sauce
This is a spicier recipe for red enchilada sauce, but it does make quite a bit more. I like both, so I alternate.
Red enchilada sauce for a crowd
Ingredients:
- 2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
- 4 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
Directions:
- In saucepan, add water, tomato sauce and blend in tomato paste until smooth; simmer on low heat until it bubbles.
- Add chili powder and sugar. Sauce should be smooth and slightly thick, but not too thick, a cross between tomato paste and tomato sauce. You may need to add a little more water.
- Simmer on low for about 45 to 60 minutes, until all ingredients are well blended and there is no "gritty" feel from the chili powder.
- Yield: approximately 6 cups
Rachael’s recipe notes:
- I add 1 Tbsp. of unsweetened baking cocoa to my recipe, but only because we enjoy the flavor. It gives the sauce a deeper, more complex flavor than the chili powder alone.
- This sauce freezes and cans well, so you may want to consider tripling the recipe. I can in pint jars or freeze in pint bags for future use. Make sure to label your jars/bags with the date and contents.
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