Smoked Pork Enchiladas. Enchiladas seem to pop up on my dinner menu often. I’ve been a fan of “Mexican” or “Tex Mex” foods ever since I was a kid. My usual enchilada repertoire includes both meat lovers and vegetarian versions. Every now and then, I like to try something new. Going through my freezer, I found a package of my husband’s smoked pulled pork. Smoked Pork Enchiladas sounded pretty good to me.
My usual preferred enchilada is filled with melty cheese, caramelized diced onion, and sometimes black beans. I like Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce in a pinch. But this time, I wanted to make something a bit more involved with a different flavor. To my usual cheese, onion, and black bean mixture, I added the smoked pork, garlic, and red bell pepper. Spiced up the filling with some chili powder, cumin, and Mexican oregano. Spread the filling on a tortilla. Rolled it up, and smothered it with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
My favorite store-bought enchilada sauce is made by Hatch. Fire-roasted chiles with a hint of heat give the Hatch sauce its signature flavor. I’m a fan of this sauce when I don’t make my own homemade Red Enchilada Sauce.
Start out by coating a baking dish with cooking spray. Then spoon in a thin coating of enchilada sauce.
Shred some Monterey Jack cheese.
To make the filling, caramelize some finely diced onions and red bell pepper in vegetable oil. Add some minced garlic. Then add some smoked pork, black beans, chili powder, cumin, and Mexican oregano, and heat through.
Spoon the filling down the middle of each large burrito-size flour tortilla.
Add some shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top of the filling. Roll up the tortillas and place in the baking dish.
Top with enchilada sauce and additional shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake the enchiladas in the oven until bubbly and golden brown, 20 – 30 minutes.
Remove the enchiladas from the oven.
Place each enchilada on a serving plate. Serve!
Enjoy!!
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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….
Smoked Pork Enchiladas
Ingredients:
2 large burrito-size flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 can (15 oz) Hatch enchilada sauce (or your favorite sauce, or 2 cups of my Red Enchilada Sauce)
1 c tomato sauce
1 T vegetable oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 T chili powder
1/2 t cumin powder
2 t Mexican oregano
2 c shredded smoked pork
1 c canned black beans, drained and rinsed
pinch of salt
2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese, reserve 1/2 c for topping enchiladas
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Mix together the enchilada sauce and the tomato sauce. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with some of the sauce.
4. In a skillet, saute the onion and red bell pepper in the oil until the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes longer.
5. To the onion and pepper mixture, add the smoked pork, black beans, chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano and salt. Heat through.
6. Divide the filling between the two tortillas, down the middle, so the sides will roll up and over the filling. Sprinkle the majority of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the filling.
7. Roll up the tortillas and place in the baking dish.
8. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the reserved shredded cheese over the enchiladas.
9. Bake the enchiladas for 20 – 30 minutes, keeping watch so the enchilada bottoms don’t burn. The filling should be bubbling, the cheese will be melty, and the enchiladas will be slightly brown on top.
10. Remove the enchiladas from the oven, plate, and serve along with some of the sauce in the pan!
Serves 2. Offer with guacamole or sour cream on the side. Make a bigger batch for a party buffet.
Variations: Use regular pulled pork if you don’t have smoked pork. Try pulled or chopped cooked chicken. Omit the meat for a vegetarian version. Use cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend instead of Monterey Jack. Use pinto beans instead of black beans. If you can’t find Mexican oregano, just omit it, or substitute cilantro. You can use fajita-sized tortillas to make a greater number of enchiladas.
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