I just started making my own enchilada sauce, since inflation has brought a can of store-bought up to around SIX DOLLARS! I usually use at least 3 cans when I make a pan of enchiladas, so my once cheap and easy go-to family favorite was in danger of extinction. You will need to visit your local latin-american grocery to source the peppers, but they are inexpensive. I think this is the easiest sauce I have ever made from scratch. The de-stemming and de-seeding of the peppers is a little tedious, but you know you would just be on your phone otherwise. I recommend making a big batch and freezing in quart containers… as a quart is about how much I use per tray of enchiladas. This recipe makes about 3 quarts.

• about 25 dried ancho chile peppers
• 1 onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• about 2 tbsp oil
• optional spices; cumin, oregano, cayenne

• Pull off the stems, split them in half and knock the seeds out. Sometimes they stick to the inside and you have to scrape them with the back of your knife.
• bring a pot of water to boil and pour over chiles… just enough to cover(should be about 7 cups for around 25 peppers)
• dice onion and garlic and sautée in hot oil(I use pecan) until they make your mouth water or are translucent and starting to turn golden, then throw in the spices(if using) and cook for another minute
• pour about a cup of the chile-soaking water over the onion and cook down another 5 minutes or so
• after the chiles have been soaking at least 10 minutes, but more like 20-30, purée them with all of their soaking water and the onion sautée, using either an immersion blender or a regular blender. If using a regular blender, be careful not to overfill, especially if the mixture is still hot. You will have to blend in batches, filling the blender no more than 1/3 full at a time. You do not want this exploding all over your kitchen.
• pour into a pot and simmer sauce on the stove another ten minutes with the lid on
• let cool, put in your containers, label, and freeze. Refrigerating overnight before you freeze will help prevent freezer burn.

A few tips on making enchiladas

• You have to fry up the tortillas in a skillet and then dip them in the sauce before you you fill and roll them up, otherwise they will just break apart and get soggy.
• pour some sauce in the bottom of your pan to keep enchiladas from sticking
• You can really fill them with whatever you want as long as it is pre-cooked. This is a great use for leftovers. Meat, beans, squash, sweet potato, and kale are popular options at my house. I like to mix sour cream in with the filling.
• don’t put so much filling in them that you can’t roll them up nice and tight
• cover enchiladas with your sauce and top with any melting cheese you like. To go traditional, purchase some queso añejo, queso oaxaca/asadero/quesadilla, chihuahua, or queso blanco from the latin american grocery. Here is a nice guide to mexican cheeses if you are interested in learning more. Parmesan, monterey jack or cheddar are other good options.
• bake @ 375° for about 45 minutes