Anonymous Tue May 23 19:49:06 2006

1 dozen corn tortillas

1/2 pound American cheese -- grated

1 large onion -- chopped

1 large can chili with beef no beans, your favorite

vegetable oil

When I was growing up, these enchiladas with rice and refried beans was the essence of

Mexican food as I knew it. I now make a lot more sophisticated types of enchilada sauces

and use different cheeses but I still make these occasionally when I get the craving for

them. Also, we hardly ever have a family get-together with my mother and brother without

making these. It\'s funny how you can\'t really outgrow the foods you ate while growing up.

Warning, this is definitely NOT low-fat chow! Add just enough vegetable oil to a frying pan to

cover the bottom and heat over medium flame. Fry the tortillas in the oil just enough to heat

and soften them. If the oil is too hot, or if you fry them too long, they will turn hard and crisp

and you won\'t be able to roll them. A few seconds on each side is usually enough. Stack on

a plate covered with a paper towel. This recipe calls for American cheese. For Tex-Mex

enchiladas no other cheese will do. American cheese has just the right salty fl

avor and melts to a great gooey consistency. I buy a chunk of American cheese at the deli

and grate it. Make sure you have American \'cheese\' and not the imitation cheese food stuff.

Even though most people don\'t accept American cheese as \'real\' cheese, and it is

processed, there is a difference. Don\'t try to use those individually wrapped slices. I like

Land-O-Lakes white American best. Sprinkle some cheese and grated onion on a tortilla

and carefully roll into a tube. Lay in a casserole dish with the seam side down. Continue

until all the tortillas are filled. In a saucepan, heat the can of chili and pour evenly over the

top of the filled tortillas. Bake in a 350F oven until the enchiladas are heated through and

the chili is starting to bubble. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese on top and return to oven

until the cheese melts. Serve with Mexican rice and refried beans.