It just so happens that May 5 is also National Enchilada Day!
So I asked Jessica Carnell, the owner of Molly’s La Casita in Midtown Memphis, to share her tried-and-true tips for making fiesta-worthy enchiladas.
Choose your filling
Jessica says it’s a matter of taste - whatever filling you prefer works - taco meat (chicken or beef), fajita meat or veggies.
At Molly’s, they simmer the meat for its famous shredded chicken enchiladas in a well-seasoned tomato purée for about 15 minutes for an extra boost of flavor.
Soften and season the tortillas
Jessica says they use 6-inch white corn tortillas. At Molly’s, they dip them in a hot mixture of water and ground ancho peppers and then give them a quick 3 to 5 second dip in hot grease.
Cooking the enchiladas
After filling the enchiladas, roll them and place them in a baking dish. Jessica says to cover the enchiladas with your choice of sauce and a generous sprinkling of cheese, and then put the pan in an oven set to broil just until the cheese is melted.
The sauce
At Molly’s, all the sauces are made from scratch - but Jessica says that in a crunch you can always doctor up store-bought sauces with some fresh garlic or ground cumin.
The finishing touch
Add toppings for personality. Any combo of chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, diced red onion, jalapeños, sour cream or special sauces will work.
Oh! And don’t forget the margaritas! I recommend the Molly’s half frozen / half rocks margarita.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Molly’s La Casita is located at 2006 Madison Ave. in Memphis, TN. For more information, mollyslacasita.com.
