Krystall's Enchiladas

Ingredients:

Cheese - Cheddar and Monterey Jack (or your favorites) 3 or more cups grated (more is better)
Chicken or Beef - white and/or dark meat chicken, stewing beef or any that is shreddable
Enchilada sauce - canned (mild or hot to your preference) several cans if 6-8 oz. size. Better to have extra than not to have enough sauce. If using Schilling Enchilada seasoning packet (or similar) you will also need tomato sauce or paste.
Corn Tortillas - 12 or more, again, better to have more than you need than not enough.
Vegetable Oil
Optional: Olives, onions, other additions to suit your tastes.

Instructions:

Trim all fat off beef or chicken. Place meat and enough enchilada sauce in appropriate sized saucepan to boil together. If using beef, you can make more tender if cooked in a pressure cooker. But be sure there is plenty of sauce as liquid, so it doesn't scorch. When beef/chicken is cooked, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Drain liquid into container to save for later. Then begin to shred the chicken or shred/cut beef into thin, bite sized strips. Must be easy to work with when rolling in tortillas. Set aside until assembly step.

Grate cheese, set aside for assembly step.

If using olives, onions or whatever, prepare by dicing finely and set aside for assembly step.

To prepare tortillas: put vegetable oil 1/4" to no more than 1/2" deep in small fry pan. Turn on medium heat. Open tortilla package. Have a plate ready for heated tortillas to be placed. Then using tongs, begin heating tortillas in oil. Only dip long enough to soften, then remove, drain over pan, and put on top of unheated tortilla on plate. Layer one unheated tortilla between each oiled tortilla, this will help soak up excess oil and will still soften all tortillas. Here is where you can control quantities. If you only want to make enough enchiladas fresh for one night, just heat that many tortillas. If you want to make a large batch, and have leftovers, then heat many.

Assembly:

Prepare your workspace for the messy assembly stage. Ingredients do not have to be hot, because you will be putting completed enchiladas in the oven to melt the cheese anyway. But this step should follow the heating of the tortillas, because you want them to be soft and pliable. (Corn tortillas break easily when stiff).

Arrange your cheese, meat, tortillas, extra condiments and sauce in assembly line order. Have a casserole dish ready to put enchiladas in. Spread a thin layer of sauce in bottom of dish. Then on clean plate, pull one tortilla over, line up meat, cheese, extras, and a spoonful or two of sauce in middle of tortilla, not much more than two fingers thick. Fold end of tortilla over ingredients and roll. Place rolled side down in sauce, in the casserole dish. Your fingers will be messy with sauce if you do this by hand, or you may use spoons/utensils if you choose. I find fingers work the best. Then continue rolling and placing enchiladas snuggly against each other in the casserole dish. It's a good idea to keep close together and you can add enchiladas on the sides to fill in space. Cover with a layer of enchilada sauce. (It really soaks in a lot when cooking). You can even layer more enchiladas on top if you want to, until you run out of one or more ingredients. Lastly, top with more grated cheese if desired.

Place in oven to heat through and melt cheeses. 10 minutes at 300 or 350 would probably do the trick. Cheese is melted when you see enchiladas look flattened out instead of round like you rolled them up. Serve with large flat spatula or large shallow spoon.

Great as left overs. Can be prepared in advance and frozen.