Easy Enchilada Sauce (red)
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Enchilada comes from the verb enchilar (= "to add chile pepper to"). Enchilada literally means "seasoned with chiles". The traditional enchilada sauce is just that-dried red chile peppers soaked and ground into a sauce with other seasonings. However, red enchilada sauce may also be tomato-based with red chiles, while green enchilada sauce is usually made of tomatillos and green chiles. Mole may also be used as enchilada sauce.

Other Enchilada Sauce Recipes:

Enchilada Sauce (no tomatoes)
Red Enchilada Sauce
Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
Green Enchilada Sauce

Emeril's Easy Enchilada Sauce

I made a 9x9 inch pan with 7 enchiladas, this is what fit, (smaller tortillas) and had sauce left over. Plus I should have added more water or stock to thin it down. This recipe is enough for at least 10 smaller enchiladas.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup New Mexican chili powder
2 cups chicken stock
10 ounces tomato paste [I only had a 6 oz. can and it was plenty tomatoey. Some versions use no tomatoes, so it was fine.]
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings. [The enchilada sauce needs to be thin enough to put a light film or coat on the tortillas, not thickly coat them. Plus if the sauce is too thick, it dries out in the oven.]

Serve atop your favorite enchiladas.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups Enough for about a 9 x 13 inch pan