recipes
If you want great recipes, tips and expert cheese advice, it pays to go to the master – which is exactly what we've done. California-based writer Laura Werlin is recognized as one of the country’s foremost experts on American cheese. A renowned cheese expert and author of four highly successful cookbooks, Laura has just released her latest, “Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials.”
Share now in her wealth of knowledge with these cheese tips and recipes that are sure to have your taste buds yearning for more.
Share now in her wealth of knowledge with these cheese tips and recipes that are sure to have your taste buds yearning for more.
The New American Cheese Recipes
Cheese Enchiladas with Lime-Tomatillo Sauce (back to Laura Werlin Recipes...)
Serves 4 to 6
For the Sauce:
1 pound tomatillos, husks and stems removed
2 cloves garlic
1 to 2 serrano chiles (depending on the desired spiciness)
1/4 white onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tomatillos, garlic, and chile(s) and cook for 7 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the rest.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the boiled ingredients and the reserved cooking water. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and blend until mixed but slightly chunky. Taste, add more salt if necessary. Set aside.
For the Enchiladas:
12 6-inch corn tortillas
About 1/4 cup vegetable oil
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
6 ounces Colby-style cheese, such as Cheddar, coarsely grated
1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
Slivered zest of 1 lime (about 1 teaspoon), for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place the stack of tortillas next to the stove. Next to those, put 1 cup of the sauce in a shallow bowl, and next to that a large plate or platter.
3. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. The oil should be 1/4 to 1/2–inch deep. When the oil is hot but not smoking (about 325°F), put in 1 tortilla (tongs work well for this) and cook for about 10 seconds. You want the tortilla to become limp but not brown, so that you’ll be able to roll it.
4. Using the same tongs, run the tortilla through the bowl of sauce to give it a thin coating. Place it on the platter. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
5. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, spoon about 1/4 cup of the Jack cheese down the center of the tortilla and roll it up.
6. Place it in a baking pan that is large enough to hold all of the enchiladas, preferably in one layer. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and cheese, lining them up in a pan so that they are touching.
7. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and scatter the Colby cheese over the sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes.
8. Drizzle with a little crème fraiche and top with lime zest. Serve immediately.