The Best Enchilada Sauce Recipe

 The Best Enchilada Sauce Recipe

This has to be the easiest enchilada sauce recipe you can ever make!  Years ago, when I was visiting my husband's aunt in San Francisco, she made an enchilada casserole for our family.  Before that time, I had never heard of an enchilada casserole.  I had heard of an enchilada but not the casserole. I saw how she layered enchilada sauce with layers of corn tortillas, ground beef, beans, and cheese.  The meal was delicious and has forever had a special place in my foodie heart.  There are many different versions of enchilada sauce and this one is probably one of the easiest to make with the ingredients you already have in your kitchen cabinet.  Of course, with all the layering and prep of the filling, why not just buy enchilada sauce in the jar?  It is so much easier...yes it is.  If you want to save time and money, buying an organic, mass-produced enchilada sauce is a great idea.  But...you will be sacrificing flavor and have to eat preservatives and fillings that detract from the flavor.  Nothing is better than fresh, homemade sauce right off of the stove.  You can also freeze any leftovers for your next dish.  Also, meals make memories.  I have a special memory of sitting at her dining room table in her walk-up Victorian home in San Francisco eating a lovingly prepared meal.  When you home-cook your food, it has a special place in the memories of those receiving it.  I truly believe this since my memory of that day with the enchilada casserole is forever treasured.  

There are many benefits to making your own sauce and as I mentioned before, you do not eat any fillings and preservatives in store-bought sauces. Why do we have preservatives and fillings in store-bought sauces?  There are many reasons but one of the main ones is to assist with maintaining the sauce's texture and preserving the sauce to extend the product's shelf-life.  Companies that mass produce these sauces would only be able to make a profit if the product had a high turnover rate so they need to focus on extending the life of the sauce in the supermarket.  Preservatives are added to expand the product's life.  Unfortunately, taste is sacrificed when the sauce sits at the store for a few months.  I have another recipe in my blog for teriyaki sauce that is just as delicious!  This enchilada sauce is the simplest version with the basic ingredients in your cupboard.  

Olive oil and flour add to the texture of this sauce as the flour is used as a thickening agent.  The spices are basic, and consist of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and cinnamon.  Vegetable broth is added as the medium to which all the seasonings and spices are added.  I place the flour and spices on a small plate and mix in when the oil in the pot is warm enough to create a small sizzle.  Whisk the ingredients quickly as you add the tomato paste and then continue wishing as you add the vegetable broth.  You are creating a sauce so you continue to stir until all the spices are incorporated and the mixture thickens.  You want a little resistance to the sauce before turning off the heat.  I use a medium pot over medium heat.  

First, gather your ingredients.  Then, add all the dry ingredients, seasoning and flour, to a small bowl.

Set the spice mixture aside and pre-measure the tomato paste.  Pre-measuring will make the process of preparing the sauce quick and easy and ensure the spice mixture does not burn.

Heat the oil in a medium sized pot waiting for spice mixture to sizzle.

And the spice mixture, whisking constantly for 1 minute to incorporate.

Add the tomato paste and incorporate.

Add the vegetable broth slowly and whish constantly.

Then incorporate the spices into the vegetable broth until everything is evenly incorporated.  Once the mixture thickens, remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar. Add black pepper to taste!

Ingredients:

6 tbsp olive oil

6 tbsp flour

2 tbsp ground chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups vegetable broth

2 tsp white vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Measure the dry ingredients into a small bowl and place near the stove.  Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.
2. In a medium sized pot heat the oil until it is hot enough that a sprinkle of flour mixture sizzles on contact.  
3. Once oil is ready, add the four and spice mixture and wish constantly for 1 minute.  Whisk in tomato paste and then slowly pour in the vegetable broth whisking constantly to remove any lumps.  
4. Cook, whisking often for about 5-6 minutes until the sauce has thickened a but and spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it.  
5. Remove sauce from heat and add the vinegar and black pepper to taste.

You can easily prepare this sauce ahead of time and then freeze for future use.  This sauce will be great for 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer and is great to prep ahead of time.