A favorite Mexican food memory

Back in my college years, my roommates and I would eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Azteco, as often as our budgets would allow. Our menu choice was either our beloved Topopo Salad, a salad so huge it just had to be shared, or the Blue Corn Enchiladas, which I called “Queso Enchiladas.”

The East Lansing restaurant is still going strong and so are their Blue corn Enchiladas. They are cheese-filled blue corn tortillas topped with a mild chile verde sauce. The secret to the deliciousness of these “Queso Enchiladas”, for me, is the filling. The El Az chefs use their popular cheese dip as the filling for their enchiladas, and I can’t think of a better choice. It’s cheesy perfection on your plate.

Now the cheese filling used in these enchiladas isn’t what you think of as typical queso dip. It’s not the melty cheese dip we’re used to having at Tex Mex restaurants. This dip is a mixture of sour cream, cottage cheese, jack cheese, and a “special” seasoning. I’ve been making a copy cat version of this famous Cheese Dip recipe for years, and it’s spot on in taste and texture.

My version of these popular enchiladas comes close to the original. Unfortunately I don’t have access to freshly made blue corn enchiladas here in Central Illinois. So, I have to use easy-to-find packaged corn tortillas. And I’m probably short cutting their chile verde sauce by using canned soup when I make this recipe. But it still ends up being delcious.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas in a Chile Verde Sauce

For a delicious variation on an already perfect recipe, I’ve been known to use 1 to 2 cups of roasted chicken, or even leftover rotisserie chicken to make Cheese Chicken Enchiladas. Top the cheese mixture with 1 to 2 Tablespoons of shredded cooked before rolling each tortilla into enchiladas.

Chile Verde Sauce Ingredients

Ingredients for Queso Enchiladas

Mexican Style Cheese Dip Recipe
corn tortillas
cumin
cream mushroom soup
sour cream (can use the light version)
jalapeños
shredded cheddar cheese

How to Make Queso Enchiladas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the Mexican Style Cheese Dip Recipe for the enchilada filling.
To make the sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the cumin, mushroom soup, sour cream and jalapenos.
Blend until the mixture is smooth.
Begin making the enchiladas by wrapping the tortillas in a moist paper towel and heating them a microwave for about 45 seconds to soften.
At one end of each tortilla, place 2 teaspoons of Mexican Style Cheese Dip Recipe.
Roll up each tortilla and place them, seam side down, in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
Pour the over the enchiladas.
Be sure to cover the tortillas completely so the tortillas don’t dry out.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 40 minutes until bubbling.
Remove the foil.
Top the enchiladas with cheddar cheese, and place the pan back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
NOTE: Add cooked shredded chicken to each tortilla before rolling for Queso and Chicken Enchiladas (about 1-2 cups total).

Other Favorite Recipes

Guacamole

Refried Beans The Slow Cooker Way

Fresh Tomato and Jalapeno Pepper Salsa

Lime Rice with Garlic and Cilantro

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