Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped (about a cup)
Vegetable oil - grapeseed or olive
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted if you can get it
2 Tbsp red chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup to a cup of water
12 corn tortillas
Canola oil - a high smoke point vegetable oil
2-3 cups of fried bacon, chopped
Salt
2 cups grated cheese (about 1/3 lb)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare the sauce. Coat a large skillet with oil and sauté the onions on medium heat until translucent, a few minutes. Add the garlic for a minute more. While the onions are cooking, purée the canned tomatoes in a blender. Add the tomatoes to the onions and garlic. Bring to a low simmer. Start adding the chili powder, one teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition, until you get to the desired level of heat and chili flavor. For us that's around 2 Tablespoons. But it depends on your taste and how strong the chili powder is that you are using. Note that the tortillas and chicken will absorb some of the heat, so allow for that and let it be a little bit spicier than what you want in the finished dish. Add a teaspoon of sugar if necessary to cut down on the acid from the tomatoes. You want more of the taste of the chili and less of the tomatoes for this sauce. As the sauce simmers, dilute it with water to keep it from getting too thick as it simmers. Remove from heat.
Alternatively, use a prepared canned enchilada sauce, which can be perfectly fine.
Mix in 1/4 cup of the sauce with the cooked chicken, and a 1/4 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle with a little salt. Set aside.
Prepare the tortillas. Heat a small light skillet on med-high heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to coat the pan. Dip a tortilla in the sauce to coat the tortilla with sauce on both sides. Place the tortilla in the skillet and heat for a few seconds, until the tortilla begin to show some air bubbles. Use a metal spatula to flip to the other side for a few more seconds. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Proceed to next step.
Assemble the enchiladas. Use an 8x12 inch Pyrex baking dish. Place a couple spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll it up. Place in the baking dish and repeat until all dozen of your tortillas are neatly placed in rows in the casserole dish. Cover the tortillas rolls with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.
Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.
Use a metal spatula to serve.
