PROPER DIRTY LEFTOVER CHILI ENCHILADAS

Whenever we make a chili con carne we always have loads leftover. A batch we make can last three days sometimes if we go all out! Just having chili and rice for three days straight would be boring though so you need to think of ways to breath life into it each evening. Enchiladas are a perfect way to do this. Wrap your leftovers in tortillas, cover in a tomato based sauce, cheese and fresh herbs and voilà, your chili is transformed into something new right before your very eyes. It's proper dirty but proper delicious!

If you don't have any leftovers but still would like some scrummy enchiladas then whip up a batch of this super easy chili con carne to use as the filling. It's delicious and is our go to recipe when we are in the mood for a Mexican treat.

Below is my recipe for a quick enchilada sauce which is super easy to make but packs a right flavor punch. If you can't find any fresh oregano, you can used dried oregano or swap it out for some fresh/dry basil instead. You can also leave the fresh red chili out of you want to reduce the spice factor a little.

You could also just be completely lazy and buy yourself a nice ready made garlic and herb tomato sauce in a jar instead of making an enchilada sauce if you wish  but making a homemade sauce is so much better and it  helps you use up any left over bits and bobs you may have leftover from making your chili con carne so really it's a win win all round! 

Now you know I always tell you that the type of cheese you use is always interchangeable in my recipes and this one is no different. For enchiladas, I prefer the taste of Cheddar and the beautiful stringy gooiness of melted mozzarella however you can use any other combination of cheese that you think you will enjoy more. It's all about the experimentation. Get those leftovers ready and let's turn them into a delicious second (or third) day meal:

Leftover Chili Enchiladas

3 Chopped Medium Tomatoes

1 Chopped White Onion

1 Chopped Celery Stalk

1 Grated Garlic Clove

1 Chopped Red Chili

1 Tbsp Ground Cumin

2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Oregano

1 Tbsp Tomato Puree

250g Passata 

Salt And Pepper To Season

500g Leftover Chili

6 Whole Tortillas

100g Grated Cheddar Cheese

1 Large Grated Mozzarella Ball

1. Get your oven on to 200 degrees (180 fan) whilst you place a pan on your hob and add in the tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, chili and cumin along with a big splash of water and heat on medium for around 10 minutes stirring constantly, breaking down the tomatoes with your spoon to create the beginnings of a sauce.
2. Add in 1 tbsp of the oregano, tomato paste and passata, season with salt and pepper and then bring the mixture to a boil before reducing to a simmer for 5 minutes, continuing to stir as you do. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Next take a large, greased oven proof dish and spoon in some of the enchilada sauce to coat the base with a thin layer. This will help to stop the enchiladas sticking to the bottom of the dish. 
4. Lay out one of the tortilla on your work bench and spoon in some of the chili before rolling up and placing into the dish. Repeat with the remaining wraps, making sure you divide the chili equally between each so you don't run out before you use all the tortillas.
5. Pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas, making sure they are all evenly covered. Chuck over the cheddar, mozzarella and remaining oregano and cover the dish with foil. Pop the dish in the oven for 1 hour, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes to allow the cheese on top to crisp slightly.

Remove from the oven and leave to rest for ten minutes before serving so that it doesn't go everywhere on route to the plate. The fragrant smell of that fresh oregano should now be filling your kitchen whilst the cheese on top should be all melty and gooey. The enchilada sauce will be bubbling hot and packed full of the flavors of all those herbs and spices you added into it and as you dig inside those tortilla wraps you get all that yummy chili spilling out. Who says that having leftover's need to be boring when you can transform them into something as dirty, naughty and delicious as this? Not me that's for sure!