Enchiladas and Paradox

(It's always about paradox)

If you use foil to line your pan, be sure to give it a good nonstick spray treatment, or better yet, use parchment paper.

Back-to-school is a menu-making Tetris game. From quick and easy breakfasts to packing lunches, it’s a different approach and a different grocery list than the summer.

Since I no longer gear up for my own school year, back-to-school is a fun time to run through my kids’ favorite meals. They get to make a special request for the night before school and one on the night of the first day. For my son, it’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes, followed by enchiladas with chips and homemade salsa (thank you, volunteer tomatoes). For my daughter, it’s chicken pot pie and “Costa Rica,” a plate of fish, black beans, and rice named for her menu selection at almost every meal on vacation last summer.

In honor of my son’s first week of high school, I’m sharing my tips for making enchiladas.

1.     Make them early in the day, so you can enjoy a clean kitchen well before dinner.

2.     Assembly line is key. Brown the beef, grate the cheese, make your sauce (I stock up on El Monterey mix whenever I travel West, though you can also order it online). Do all of this a day or two ahead of time in case “enchilada day” is busy.

3.     Give your corn tortillas some time with a little oil on a hot griddle. Just a few seconds on each side.

4.     Dip the tortillas in hot enchilada sauce to soften them and keep them from drying out while cooking, but do NOT pour sauce on top until you’re ready to serve them.

5.     I prefer a sheet pan to a casserole dish. More fit in the pan, you can line it easily, and it’s easier to serve them.

I roll my panful of enchiladas and keep them in the refrigerator while I clean the inevitable mess. Enchiladas are probably the messiest thing I make for dinner, which is why they’re a special occasion meal.

When it’s go-time, remove the pan from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350. Reheat the enchilada sauce over low heat. Cover the enchiladas with foil and let them reheat for about 30 minutes. Top the enchiladas with the heated sauce as you plate them.

I hope that your turn from summer to fall is full of delicious time with the ones you love.

Paid Subscribers, keep reading to hear about my need to interrogate the “should” of this season.