Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

The other day I had a ton of leftover beans from another dish sitting in the fridge. I hate wasting, but knew I’d totally needed to repurpose the beans to get anyone in my house to eat anymore of them. So, I decide that bean and cheese enchiladas would be just the ticket! (Mexican food tends to go over really well at my house.) Unfortunately, I had no pre-made enchilada sauce on hand. I thought about it, and realized I probably had everything on hand to make my sauce from scratch. Most fortunately I did! The sauce turned out to be super easy to make, and quite tasty. Pretty much it’s all about the spices, most of which I suspect are already staples in your pantry. So, all that considered I figured I better share my recipe with you guys. Now you too can make spur of the moment enchiladas and use up the extra-whatever in your fridge. Enjoy!

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 28oz can diced or crushed tomatoes in juice
• 3-5 teaspoons brown sugar depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes

1. Heat a medium sized sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the canola oil, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, and sea salt to the pan. Stir continuously for about a minute allowing the spices to toast.

2. Add the lemon juice and tomatoes and stir well. Allow the mixture to come to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes. 

3. Use an emersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Add the three teaspoons of brown sugar and stir well. Taste and add the additional 2 teaspoons if the mixture still tastes acidic. Allow the mixture to simmer an additional five minutes. Then use in your favorite enchilada recipe!