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Cheese Enchiladas with Chili Gravy

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Ingredients
  

For the Chili Gravy:

  • ¼ cup neutral oil, like canola, or use lard or chicken or beef fat
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1-½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano, ideally Mexican oregano
  • 2 tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 cups chicken broth, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought

For the Enchiladas:

  • ½ cup neutral oil, like canola
  • 12 yellow corn tortillas
  • 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1-½ cups Cheddar cheese and 1-½ cups American cheese, like Velveeta
  • 1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped

Instructions
 

To prepare the chili gravy:

  • In a medium sauté pan, set over medium-high heat, heat oil or fat until it begins to shimmer.
  • Whisk in flour and stir continuously until it turns into a light brown roux; roughly the color of coffee ice cream; about 10 minutes.
  • Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, oregano and chili powder; whisk to combine; continue whisking for another minute or so, until roux becomes fragrant.
  • Add chicken broth, slowly, ½ cup at a time, whisking until sauce begins to thicken.
  • Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer an additional 15 minutes or so; add broth, as needed ,to adjust the thickness of the gravy; keep warm.
  • Pre-heat oven to 450°F.

To prepare the tortillas:

  • In a medium sauté pan, set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer.
  • Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately; heat tortilla for about 10 to 15 seconds on each side, until soft and lightly browned.
  • Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack; repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.
  • Using a ladle, put about ½ cup chili gravy in the bottom of an 8-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little.
  • Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla; place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last.
  • Ladle chili gravy over the top of the rolled tortillas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
  • Transfer to pre-heated oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped onions over top; serve immediately.