Every so often I receive a gift that makes me go straight to the kitchen to start cooking. I imagine this happens quite often for most foodies. That’s what happened this week to me, when my colleague Candice gave me a set of wooden spoons emblazoned with images from a favorite episode of Schitt’s Creek. They go perfectly with my Moira Rose dish towel gifted by my friend Michael.
We loved the series, though we know it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. This particular episode makes us laugh every time we see it. The title is “Family Dinner” though I think it should be called “Fold It In.” (Season 2, episode 2) It involved the very messy (kitchen and emotions) preparation of Moira’s enchilada (ahn-chilada) recipe with the assistance of her not-entirely-adult son David. The spoons sort of tell the basic story.
Moira: Next step is to fold in the cheese.
David: What does that mean? What does “fold in the cheese” mean?
Moira: You fold it in.
David: I understand that, but how? How do you fold it? Do you fold it in half, like a piece of paper, and drop it in the pot, or, what do you do?
Moira: David, I cannot show you everything.
The episode made me realize how many instructions I use in recipes that take for granted the reader’s understanding of them. Such as “fold it in.” When did I learn what that term means? How on earth would any newcomers to the kitchen have any idea? I’m sure I will continue to befuddle you with all variety of trick instructions like “fold it in” and “make a roux,” but that’s why I have a comment section and an email — just ask! I always tell readers that the recipes come with free tech support — please use it!
~ David
Green Chile Enchiladas
Click icon below to print recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces frozen chopped spinach
- 1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for baking dish
- 8 scallions, divided
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 3 small poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon medium hot chile powder
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 12 6-inch corn tortillas
- 4 1⁄2 cups Mexican cheese blend
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
Instructions
- Cook spinach according to package instructions. Drain well and set aside. Thinly slice the green parts of 3 green onions and set aside; reserve the whites with the other 5 scallions.
- For the sauce, melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced scallion greens and soften for 30-45 seconds. Add flour to make a roux and cook mixture for 1 minute; do not brown. Gradually whisk in cream and milk. Simmer until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in drained spinach, 6 tablespoons cilantro, 1/3 cup of the diced poblanos, and the cumin, coriander, and chile powder. Purée in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, pour sauce into a medium bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, briefly dip each tortilla in oil to soften, about 5-10 seconds per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 1 teaspoon of the oil and return the skillet to medium heat. Slice all remaining scallions (whites and greens) and sauté them in the oil just until soft — less than a minute. Combine remaining diced poblanos, cilantro, and wilted scallions in a small bowl.
- Place 1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend in center of each tortilla. Spoon over a heaping tablespoon of the chile-cilantro-scallion mixture. Roll up tortilla. Place seam side down in a buttered 8-inch by 12-inch baking dish (or individual baking dishes). Repeat until all the filled tortillas are nestled together in the baking dish.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. To finish the sauce, fold in the crema; pour evenly over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese blend. Bake for 25 minutes — cheese should be nicely melted and the enchiladas will be heated through. Divide, plate and serve promptly.
- Serves 4-6. (Makes 12 enchiladas)
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Laura Brown
February 26, 2022 at 6:24 amAnd every so often you post a recipe that makes me want to make your dish the minute I read it. Alas, today I can’t make this scrumptious casserole but I can promise you, the minute an open bit of time is found, Green Chile Cheese Enchiladas will be on the table. So perfect as the the ingredients I always have on hand! Thank you, David!
David Scott Allen
February 26, 2022 at 8:35 amYou will love these — this time I used poblanos roasted at the farmers market. Just think… you can get the chiles and the tortillas at the market tomorrow.. 🙂
Chef Mimi
February 26, 2022 at 6:50 amOh how I miss Schitt’s Creek. And that finale… Moira’s voice… goodness. Anyway, love your gifts, and I really love these enchiladas!!! “Fold in the cheese!”
David Scott Allen
February 26, 2022 at 8:37 amWe miss it, too. When we watch reruns, it’s like visiting old friends. And I bet you will like ahn-chiladas, too.
Connie
February 26, 2022 at 7:28 amOh my GOSH that looks delicious! I miss Schitt’s Creek so much. Maybe they’ll do a movie! There’s a quirky show on HBO called Somebody Somewhere with Bridgett Everett. It’s funny yet bittersweet. I hope you check it out David.
David Scott Allen
February 26, 2022 at 8:38 amI would love a movie! I always thought they should get the cast to do the entire show of Cabaret. Glad you like the enchilada!
John / Kitchen Riffs
February 26, 2022 at 8:33 amI’ve never seen Schitt’s Creek but friends tell me it’s just my thing. One of these days I’ll get around to it. 🙂 And sooner than one of these days I’m making this. LOVE this sort of dish — definitely just my thing. This looks terrific — thanks.
David Scott Allen
February 26, 2022 at 8:40 amKnowing you as much as I do, John, I agree with your friends. I think you will especially enjoy Moira’s vocabulary. The enchiladas are a shoo-in — I know you will love them!
Ron
February 26, 2022 at 8:36 amDavid, I’ve really been craving enchiladas lately and this just put me over the top. I’ve to have some of these. Now, if I can just find some substitute for poblanos here. Maybe, i’ll try it with Hungarian green peppers. If I get in a bind I’ll contact yout tech support.
I guess I’m up Schitt’s Creek as I’ve never heard of the series until your post. After reading about the series I jump over to Netflix and we don’t have it over here. But, if it makes it this way we’ll watch it.
David Scott Allen
February 26, 2022 at 8:42 amOh, I’m so sorry Netflix in Sweden doesn’t carry it. You can definite watch the “Fold in the cheese” episode on YouTube. It’s a really quirky show, Ron — we love it but so many of our friends have not.
Jeff the Chef
February 26, 2022 at 9:15 amI love Schitt’s Creek! And of course, as soon as you said that you had characters on spatulas, I knew which episode you’d be talking about. It is funny about how many techniques you take for granted. I was fortunate (in so much as it was luck, and I didn’t know what I was doing) in that the first few cookbooks I owned were written for someone new to cooking, and explained just about everything. And of course you can look stuff up on the internet, but not if you’re as dysfunctional as David and Moira.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 26, 2022 at 9:59 amI’m always amazed at what you can find on the internet. So far, the most useful thing I have found was translated instructions on how to work appliances (oven, dishwasher, washing machine) when in Europe. But how to fold in the cheese never occurred to me.
Eha
February 26, 2022 at 3:12 pmA warm hello from the very wet flooded eastern states of Australia . . . which must somewhat explain my being a wet blanket as well ! 🙂 !!! Since I do not use cream the lack of quite a few of your ingredients in their original form I daresay does not matter . . . The spoons do look fun . . . Schitt’s Creek – yes, I believe it is shown here on late night TV . . . hope you well . . .
Ronit Penso Tasty Eats
February 26, 2022 at 4:31 pmThough I haven’t watched the show (I will look for it now), I have given quite a few cooking classes over the years, so can identify!
The enchiladas look very inviting. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
March 2, 2022 at 10:30 amThanks, Ronit! I’ve started collecting phrases that we cooks say that no one else ever understands… It might make for a fun book!
Christina Conte
February 26, 2022 at 5:25 pmEwwww David, I haven’t watched that show, but I have seen enough clips to know about that catchphrase, and my daughter dressed up as Alexis a couple of years ago. 🙂 It does look like a funny show! LOVE these enchiladas, and it reminds me, I’m overdue to make some! Thanks, David!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 2, 2022 at 10:31 amYou should definitely look for the episode on YouTube. It’s hysterical! and, yes, you do need to make some enchiladas soon. 🙂
Frank @Memorie di Angelina
February 27, 2022 at 6:36 amSounds like a delicious dish that my second half would really enjoy, too. I’ll be trying this in the near future…
And yes those pesky culinary terms can confuse some readers, but imagine recipes without them. They’d be twice or three times as long! I already have a glossary, as you know, but I’ve been toying with the idea of adding technique posts that illustrate some of the basics, too. That’ll be a project for when I retire. (Later this year!)
Cocoa & Lavender
March 2, 2022 at 10:32 amFrank, we should go write a book in retirement about this. I think it could be a lot of fun. 🙂 I will definitely be looking for fun projects after I retire in May.
Frank @Memorie di Angelina
March 15, 2022 at 5:26 amWow, so you’re retiring too this year? Mazel Tov! And May in just around the corner. I still have five months to go and I can’t wait. I guess we’ll both have more time now to dedicate to the things we love. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
March 19, 2022 at 4:54 amThat’s the idea, Frank! I’m really looking forward to figuring out what next steps are for my blog. I don’t think I’m going to post more than once a week, but I might make some changes and look for some other opportunities (think: food and travel).
Sherry M
March 1, 2022 at 5:51 amthis looks so very delicious david. but sadly hubby and I are no longer eating cheese or cream or sour cream … Ah well i can salivate over the photos. Brisbane has had a monstrous massive flood these past few days so all our thoughts have been towards that and Ukraine so not much cooking going on. What a time of it!
sippitysup
March 2, 2022 at 12:58 pmIf there’s somebody on this blog who doesn’t love Schitt’s Creek I hope you ban them. Fold them OUT now! GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
March 6, 2022 at 7:51 amHow true, Greg! However, as with food, people have different senses of humor, and I am fine with that — as long as they like my enchiladas!
Raymund
March 2, 2022 at 7:33 pmThat Cheese Enchiladas looks cheesy!!!
BTW sometimes even I am also confused with some culinary terminologies, Batons, Chiffonade, Cocotte, Truss, etc.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 6, 2022 at 7:56 amRaymund… And then there is piperade… I used to make up what these things meant. Chiffonade was cutting something so think you could see through it like the fabric chiffon. (I was close.) Piperade was a sauté of finely diced bell peppers. (Yes, it had a bell pepper but I wasn’t even close!) I was very lucky that my mother taught me a lot of the basics. And, now, we have Google!
Valentina
March 5, 2022 at 4:24 pmI’m laughing at Greg’s comment. So funny! And this is hands down my favorite episode of the show too. If I had a dime for every time I’ve replayed just the kitchen scene, I’d be a millionaire. And how about how Moira pronounces enchiladas?!?!
I know what you mean about certain instructions . . . I clearly remember when I first started cooking wondering what deglazing meant. I had no clue, but proceeded with hope it would all be okay. The show aside, your recipe sounds divine! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
March 6, 2022 at 7:57 amThanks Valentina — we just watched episode two of the second season again last night. It just keeps getting funnier! I thought of you when I made these enchiladas, because they’re gluten-free…
Inger
March 7, 2022 at 1:56 pmMy last enchiladas were a disaster–I clearly misremembered canned sauce as better than it is. I think I should try this before I say I have to go out for them! BTW, love the veggies in here!
John
March 19, 2022 at 5:20 pmI must be one of a handful of people that didn’t watch the series, although I did watch a few episodes. I just couldn’t get into it. Please don’t fold me out!
Seriously delicious-looking enchiladas, David. I’d never tell Dean how much cheese went into it, should I make it!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 20, 2022 at 6:58 amHe never needs to know, John!
I think you need to watch the clip of this episode, John — even those who didn’t like SC got a kick out of it.
Vicky
March 25, 2022 at 2:42 amLoved this Mexican enchilada. Delicious looking. My family will love it. Thanks for sharing
Cocoa & Lavender
March 26, 2022 at 4:18 pmThanks Vicki! It’s very tasty, and I hope your family does enjoy it.