Week 67: Breakfast Enchiladas

Is there anything better than breakfast for dinner? How about when it has a mexican twist? I knew that this breakfast enchilada recipe was a great idea as soon as I saw it. It was a little labor-intensive, but nothing too hard. The cheese sauce was a little rich, but it sure was delicious!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
Filling:
1 TBSP oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz breakfast sausage (I used frozen veggie sausage)
1 1/4 c cooked cubed potatoes
Scrambled eggs(recipe follows)
1 2-oz jar chopped pimentos, drained
1 4.5-oz can green chiles, drained
4 oz (1 cup) freshly grated cheese such as sharp cheddar, monterrey jack, or pepper jack (or a combination of cheeses)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Scrambled Eggs:
1 TBSP butter
5 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

Chipotle Cheese Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (3/4 tsp table salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (plus 1 minced chipotle pepper if you are living on the wild side)
8 oz (2 cups) freshly grated sharp cheddar, monterrey jack, or pepper jack (or a combination of cheeses)

Other Ingredients:
8 fajita-size flour tortillas (about 6")
4 oz (1 cup) freshly grated cheese such as sharp cheddar, monterrey jack, or pepper jack for topping
Optional garnishes such as finely diced red bell pepper, chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions, or chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 TBSP oil. When hot, add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the sausage and cook until brown – breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Add the cooked potatoes and heat for 2 minutes to warm the potatoes through. Drain off any excess oil and transfer the sausage to a medium bowl. Set the mixture aside to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

To make the Chipotle Cheese Sauce, heat a sauce pan over medium heat with the butter. When the butter has melted and the foaming has subsided, add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, whisking often. Slowing add in the milk while whisking the sauce. Add the salt, pepper, adobo sauce, and whisk in. Heat the sauce until it barely simmers then very lightly simmer for 2 minutes longer. Turn the heat to low. Add the cheese in small amounts, whisking between each addition. Whisk until the cheese has completed melted and the sauce is smooth.

While the sauce is heating, scramble the eggs. To scramble the eggs, heat a skillet over medium heat with the butter (I use the same skillet I cook the sausage in). Once the butter has melted and the foaming has subsided, add the beaten eggs and some salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs until they are firm. Transfer the eggs to the bowl with the sausage mixture.

To the sausage and egg mixture, add the remaining filling ingredients including the cilantro (if using), pimentos, green chiles, and 4 ounces of cheese. Stir to combine. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Gently fold in 1 cup of the Chipotle Cheese Sauce.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling into the center of a tortilla. Roll it up and place it seam-side down into a 9x13" dish that has been coated with cooking spray. You should place the enchilada lengthwise in the dish so that you can get 2 enchiladas in each row running the length of the dish. Repeat with the rest of the filling. You may have a little of the filling leftover. If so, refrigerate it and use it for leftovers. Pour the remaining cheese sauce all over the enchiladas – making sure they are completely coated with the sauce. Top with 1 cup of cheese and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Garnish with chopped red bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, and/or scallions.