They may not be much to look at, but dayum! these little suckers had some flavor!

I have made enchiladas almost as long as I have been able to reach the stove. They’re just a part of growing up out west.

But one thing I have continually done is used too much sauce. Less Is More is a mantra I often don’t follow. I know better. I do it, anyway.

So I started off this afternoon with a plan to make enchiladas with the leftover chicken from the last Beer Can Chicken I made the other night. I wanted a chile verde enchilada but only had one jar of sauce. I had a large can of red enchilada sauce, I had a jar of sofrito sauce.  I wanted verde. I agonized. I opened cabinets, looked in the ‘fridge, trying to see how I could stretch the lone jar. My kingdom for a tomatillo. Everything in the house was tomato-based. I decided to just go with the single jar and, if need be, add a bit of water to thin.

I made a filling of cooked chicken, a can of diced green chiles, and 3 kinds of cheese that I shredded – monterey jack, cheddar, and the rest of the mozzarella from last night. Waste not, want not, and all that.  No other spices. I wanted a simple filling.

I poured a bit of sauce into my 9×13 pyrex baking dish and went to work, filling and rolling the tortillas. When they were finished, I poured the rest of the jar of sauce over. And it actually looked like enough sauce! I covered the enchiladas with parchment paper and then tightly covered it with foil – and placed it into a 350° oven for about 50 minutes. I almost always cover dishes with parchment paper before covering with foil. It’s so much neater and none of those pesky foil-spots…

I actually buy parchment paper by the case from a restaurant supply house. I can get 1000 sheets of full-sized paper for about 40 bucks and it lasts me 4-5 years. The deal of the century.

But I digress…

The enchiladas came out perfect. They had the perfect amount of sauce, the tortillas were perfectly tender, the entire dish was perfectly tasty. Indelible proof that I don’t need as much sauce as always think I do – and they’re better with less.

The key will be remembering this the next time I make them!

While the enchiladas were bubbling away in the oven, I made a simple Spanish Rice. Nothing overly-fancy, just simple flavors to compliment the chile verde.

Spanish Rice

• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepepr, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 can tomato sauce – 8oz
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• S&P to taste

Saute onion, pepper, and celery in a pat of butter unbtil wilted. Add garlic and cook another minute or so. Add cumin and cook until fragrant.

Add the rice, tomato saucxe, and water, along with a bit of S&P. Stir it all together and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 20 minutes.

Stir it well before serving.

Nonna cleaned her plate. Always a good sign.