Ridiculously Easy Enchilada Sauce

I have a good homemade enchilada sauce recipe, but this past year I have discovered some short cuts that are worth another recipe post. I often have a bottle of vegetable juice (V8) in my fridge so I've been using that in place of opening a can of tomato sauce.

Ridiculously Easy Enchilada Sauce
3 cups Vegetable juice (V8) or tomato juice
2+ Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp cornstarch
(You can add garlic powder or oregano if want more spices.)

1. Combine all ingredients then mix well.
2. Use for a recipe in a baked casserole dish.

OR
1. If you have about 3 cups left in your bottle of V8, then just pour other ingredients into bottle, screw on the cap, then shake it up.

Fiesta Chicken with Rice and Beans

I found this recipe in the Albertson's ad. It came from allrecipes.com.

Fiesta Chicken with Rice and Beans

Submitted By: Albertsons
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 4 Hours

Ready In: 4 Hours 10 Minutes
Servings: 6
"Juicy chicken with a Mexican flair. . .all served with rice and beans."

Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounce) Tomato sauce
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 can Mild Green Chilies, undrained (I diced them)
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (I used brown rice, of course.)
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained (I cooked some dry pinto beans earlier in the morning then used 2 cups of cooked pinto beans.)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I chopped the chicken to bite sized pieces)
1 (1 ounce) package chicken taco seasoning mix (I used 1/4 cup of taco seasoning)

Directions:
1. Combine tomatoes, rice, broth, beans, chicken, and seasoning mix in CROCK-POT slow cooker.
2. Cook on LOW setting for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours. Stir before serving.

ALT: Or put in casserole dish and top with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr, remove the foil then bake for 10-15 minutes.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce & Bean Enchiladas

A few years ago, I found this recipe for Enchilada Sauce here. I've used it when I don't have a can of enchilada sauce on hand (which is almost always.) It's cheaper to make this stuff plus it's usually healthier.

Enchilada Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce (I used "no salt added" tomato sauce)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Heat oil in large 2-quart saucepan; stir in flour and chili powder; cook for 1 minute.
2. Add remaining ingredients bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Makes 3 cups sauce.
This is enough to make one enchilada casserole in a 9x13 dish.

Bean Enchiladas
When I make enchiladas I usually like to fill them with a bean mixture. Last night I used the following:
1 can kidney beans
1 can olives
1 small can of green beans (hide them and no one will know!)
1/2 package tofu
mexican seasoning (I used The Spice Hunter brand, and it's great!)
onion powder
a dash of garlic hot sauce (I found at Dollartree.)

Spray 9x13 casserole dish. Add a layer of enchilada sauce. Fill 8 tortillas with bean mixture and place in dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas ensuring to get all parts of tortilla. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and decorate with green onions or chives.

Place in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Broil for a few minutes afterward if desired to get the cheese crispy.

When I make this again I'm sure it will be different. The filling is never the same. You could add cheese to the filling to make it extra good but it's also extra fattening and costly. :) If you don't have canned beans you could grind dry beans and cook with boiling water to get a bean spread.