Mom's Tex-Mex Enchiladas

Mom is back and she cooks up a storm in my latest recipe video.

She describes her Tex-Mex Enchiladas as: "A recipe with just  three ingredients: a can of beef chili, cheese, and corn tortillas." So you can rustle up this tasty meal at a moments notice -  quick and easy.

What makes these Tex-Mex Enchiladas is a can Wolf Brand Chili, beef and no beans. This canned meat sauce is Texas-style. Hey, it's just canned chili, so use any local purveyors you have on hand. You can even substitute with vegetarian chili. I've used veggie chili before and it's quite tasty.

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Mom uses about a pound of cheddar cheese, but go ahead and use good old-fashioned American Cheese, if that's what you got.

One of the tricks for Mom's Enchiladas is to heat the corn tortillas one minute to soften, so they don't crack and spit when loaded with cheese and rolled shut. Pssst, don't tell anyone, but I learned to roll a doobie watching Mom make enchiladas.

She also oil sprays the baking dish so the Enchiladas crisp on the bottom, just a little. Okay to use any oil you have in the cupboard.

Once you've assembled the Enchiladas they are ready for a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes of baking - that's it!

Of course, any recipe evolves, so now she adds a few spices for extra flavor: chili,  cumin, garlic and onion powder, plus salt and pepper. For this version, I'm keeping it simple. Mom didn't use extra spices for this recipe when we were kids. If you want to add extra flavors, go ahead and add a teaspoon of each extra spice.

This is a recipe from my childhood and teen years, made and served by my Mom in the 1960's and early 1970's. And, as most Mom's were apt to do, any high school friends hanging around the house (often up to no good,) were fed Mom's Tex-Mex Enchiladas.

One of my high school buddies was Marvin, and he still is my friend. We recently got together again when I visited Mom in Gonzales, Louisiana. And I remembered how he loved her Enchiladas more than any of my other friends. So I thought it apropos to have him over to film Mom's Tex-Mex Enchiladas recipe with me.

During the shoot, he mentioned that one bite brought on a flashback from our high school dazes. Well, that's all I needed to make that flashback happen - and as a sign of true friendship, Marvin agreed to reenact hanging out like we were teenagers, again -- listening to rock 'n' roll and sneaking a smoke in my bedroom. Oh boy, wait 'til Mom busts the Doobie Brothers!

Be sure to watch the video to the flashback ending were it's Wayne's World meets Beavis and Butt-head!

Our flashback high school hijinx happen in the last 2 minutes of this recipe video. So be sure to watch my latest video all the way to the end!

So kick back and join Mom, Marvin and me in a recipe/flashback video that will leave you craving Mom's Tex-Mex Enchiladas. Go ahead and make it for yourself some time - it's one Mom's oldies but goodies!

Tex-Mex Enchiladas - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 8 minutes 57 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 10 enchiladas)

• 15 ounce can of chili - use any chili with beef (no beans)  you like. Okay to substitute with a vegetarian chili. Hey, use chili with beans if you like - it's all good.
• 1 pound cheddar cheese - okay to use any favorite cheese on sale, even American Cheese. Cheese can be grated or thin sliced.
• 10 corn tortillas - Mom had enough room in her baking dish for 11 filled tortillas.
• 3/4 can water - about 1 1/2 cups water added to chili sauce.
• 2 tablespoons oil - to coat tortillas and bottom of baking dish. Mom used oil spray, but okay to use favorite veggie oil.

Extra spices - optional

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion and garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste - I find canned chili has enough salt for me.

Directions
Heat oven 350 degrees, and grease a frying pan over a medium heat.

First heat up a can of chili and water. Mom likes Wolf Brand Chili, but it's okay to use any favorite that you like.

Add the chili to a pot, along with 3/4 can of water - or about 1 1/2 cups water.

Next, Mom likes to add extra spices. But it's okay to leave these out, as she did not use them 45 years ago when I was a kid.

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Extra seasonings (optional) include half a teaspoon each of: cumin, and chili, garlic and onion powders.

Stir and simmer chili sauce about 5 minutes or so, to thicken just a little bit.

As chili simmers, heat up corn tortillas in the frying pan. You can spray the corn tortillas with oil spray or add oil to the frying pan. Heat tortillas about 30 seconds each side or one minute total. You could microwave tortillas to soften.

All you are doing is softening the corn tortillas so they are pliable and easy to roll when filled with cheese.

Oil spray, or coat the bottom of a baking dish. This will help crisp up the enchiladas just a little so they don't fall apart. This is a mushy entree anyway, but so tasty.

As tortillas are cool enough to handle, fill each tortilla with grated or thin-sliced cheese. Mom uses about 2 tablespoons of cheese for each rolled enchilada. Of course, you can load them up with as much cheese as you like.

Place each cheese-filled corn tortilla in the baking dish, side-by-side. Mom managed to fill the baking dish with about 10-11 rolled enchiladas. Do leave half an inch clear at top of dish, as chili will bubble and may overflow. Okay to put a cookie sheet underneath baking dish just in case.

Add heating beef chili over top of filled enchiladas. Finally top rolled enchiladas with plenty of cheese.

Add baking dish with enchiladas to a 350-degree oven and bake 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and chili sauce bubbling hot.

Serve right out of the oven after Mom's Tex-Mex Enchiladas cool down for a couple of minutes.

Shrimp & Cheese Grits Recipe - Cajun Cuisine Diaries VIDEO

Sharing its Southern border with the Gulf Coast, Louisiana is all about seafood. And New Orleans style Shrimp & Cheese Grits is a quick way to get some in a delicious regional specialty! See how it's made in my recipe video, the second one I've posted in a full month of spicy Southern Cajun cooking.

 My nephew, 24-year-old Chef Matt Keene, is the first of my sister Brenda's two boys (Brenda is featured in last week's Gumbo video recipe, click here.) Both young men are accomplished cooks -- I guess it runs in the family! Matt's brother, Chef Zakk, cooks up a Blackened Fish & Sweet Potato Hash in a video I'll post in a couple of weeks, so check for that back here.

My nephew Matt has experienced seven years behind the grill since he started out flipping burgers while in high school. He currently chefs at the exclusive Country Club of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. Shrimp & Cheese Grits is based on one of that restaurant's recipes, and Chef Matt is skillful enough to simplify it here without sacrificing flavor.

The Country Club uses gouda in Cheese Grits, Matt substitutes cheddar cheese. As for grits, he had instant on hand. Of course, you can use regular, longer-cooking grits -- they're certainly cheap enough.

Grits are made from ground corn, and similar to Polenta or Cream of Wheat -- smooth with a neutral, mild cornmeal flavor. Typically it is there to soak up a breakfast egg yoke, but Southerners are known to eat it any time of day.

Since I'm on vacation, I'll let the Louisiana chefs use their preferred local produce and protein.  But I'll add some lower-cost ideas here and there, such as this: If I were to do this recipe cheaply back home, I would use a couple of 4-ounce packages of frozen bay shrimp, purchased for a buck each from a dollar store, or my local Albertsons Market.

My nephew Matt and his girlfriend Lacee were kind enough to invite Uncle 99 Cent Chef into their roomy trailer kitchen to cook up this yummy Cajun classic. I've always wanted to learn how to make Shrimp & Cheese Grits, and Matt has it down pat.

The only complicated part is the buttery beer sauce. It was tricky to find just the right beer, so I bought a 12 bottle Party Pack of locally brewed Abita Beer. We had many  bottles to try, from Turbo Dog to Jockamo IPA -- and a lot more flavors in between (this video recorded session will definitely make it on The 99 Cent Chef's year end highlight reel!)

After going through most of the 12'er, Matt thought Abita Amber would be best, as it wouldn't overpower his shrimp and butter sauce. I couldn't agree more. I think I could get away with substituting my local cheapie favorite, Miller High Life, for a 99 cent version -- or if you have a favorite brew, try it.

As for cheese, cheddar is cheap, but you could make it with gouda if you wanted to get extravagant. When the grits are hot, both types of cheese blend well - it's a deliciously creamy combination. I could have eaten a dish of Chef Matt's cheesy grits just by itself.

So, plan to give my Cajun nephew's Shrimp & Cheese Grits recipe a try sometime. In the meanwhile, sit back and watch this video demonstration to see how this young buck does it!

Chef Matt's Shrimp & Cheese Grits - Video
Play it here. The video runs 7 minutes, 8 seconds.

View or embed from youtube, click here. 99 thanks to Chef Matt, Lacee & Miles.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 12 shrimp (about 1/2 pound)- medium or large. Okay to use 1/2 pound of cheaper small bay shrimp.
• 1/2 cup of favorite beer - okay to substitute veggie or chicken stock.
• 1 teaspoon garlic - chopped
• 1/2 cup onion - chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chopped chives - or any favorite fresh colorful garnish, like parsley, optional.
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper - or pepper with tsp. of lemon juice.
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper - or to preferred heat level.
• 1 teaspoon dried chicken stock - or 1 crushed bouillon cube. Okay to use 1/4 cup of liquid chicken stock, too -- if adding liquid, you may need to add a couple of extra minutes of cooking time to reduce sauce.
• 1/2 stick butter* - and an optional extra pat for Cheese Grits.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. of Cajun seasonings
• 2/3 cup of Grits  - instant or regular.
• 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese - shredded. Okay to use small chunks, just make sure to blend well to melt when adding to hot grits.
• 1 cup of water - for grits.

Directions
Chop onion and garlic. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a medium hot pan. Saute veggies about 3 minutes until soft.

Add spices and flavorings, including: Liquid Smoke, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper and chicken stock (dried, liquid or bouillon cube). Stir and mix well with sauteing veggies.

Time to get the grits going. Add 2/3 cup of grits to 1 cup of boiling water. Depending on your choice of Instant or Regular Grits, double check box directions for cooking times, and per serving amounts. This recipe is for 2 servings. You should taste grits before plating to make sure they are soft, not gritty.

Turn heat to low on pot of grits, cover and cook until half done, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until all cheese is melted and grits turn light orange color. Cover and set aside over lowest heat.

Now we finish up the shrimp/beer sauce. Add 12 peeled medium to large shrimp (or two 4-ounce 99 cent packages of small bay shrimp) to sauteing veggies. Cook 2 minutes (if shrimp are precooked, then wait to add shrimp to sauce until just before serving, and heat through.)

De-glaze pan with 1/2 cup of your favorite beer. Stir and mix well. Add Cajun Seasoning with salt and pepper - to taste. If shrimp are precooked, then add them at this time.

Check on Cheese Grits and give a final stir. Adding a pat of butter (or butter flavoring) is optional.

Spoon or pour out grits into plate or bowl. Arrange cooked shrimp around plated Cheese Grits. And finally, pour beer sauce over shrimp, and top with tablespoon of chopped chives (optional.)

*Instead of 1/2 stick of butter, you can keep it light by substituting a tablespoon of olive oil. And add a little more beer and chicken (or veggie) stock if you like a lot of sauce.

Also, Chef Matt uses many spices and flavorings. If you don't have Liquid Smoke, Lemon Pepper or Cajun Seasonings, don't worry about it -- I'm sure it will be tasty nonetheless.