Spinach and Cheese Enchiladas — The Red Chile Sauce That Gets You Through the Week

December in Denver and the offseason has its own particular weight this year. Usually the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas feel like a second season — recruiting, film study, planning the spring program. This year I'm doing all of those things and also carrying a grief that is now four months old and which I've learned is not going away, which I wasn't expecting to learn but which makes sense on reflection. You don't stop grieving. You learn to carry it differently. The weight is the same. Your muscles get used to it.

I've been in the kitchen more this month than I usually am in December. Cooking as processing is real and I've stopped feeling self-conscious about it. I made a big batch of red chile sauce this week — dried New Mexico chiles, reconstituted, blended with garlic and cumin and the small amount of dark chocolate that is my adjustment to the recipe and which Gloria still doesn't believe I use. I froze half in pint containers and used the rest over the week: enchiladas Monday, chile rellenos Wednesday, a bowl of it served over rice on Thursday when I needed something simple and right.

Diego has been asking about the end of season. He watched every home game from the stands this year, understood the playoff run, knew when we lost. He asked me on Sunday, very seriously: "Are you going to win it all next year, Dad?" I said I was going to try. He said, "I think you will." I asked him why. He said, "Because you never stop." Thirty-eight years old, I've been getting motivation from a ten-year-old. I've had worse sources.

Three weeks until Christmas and Las Cruces. The tamale production. First Christmas without Ruben. I've been thinking about it since October. I'll think about it until it comes and then I'll be in it and that will be the right way to handle it — not in anticipation but in the actual living of it. That's what we've got. The actual living.

The batch of red chile sauce I made this week was always going to become enchiladas — that’s the first place it goes, every time. Dried New Mexico chiles, reconstituted and blended with garlic and cumin, and yes, the small square of dark chocolate that Gloria still rolls her eyes about even though she always goes back for seconds. Monday I rolled these up with spinach and a generous amount of cheese, poured the sauce over the top, and put them in the oven while Diego finished his homework. It’s a simple thing. Some weeks simple is exactly right.

Spinach and Cheese Enchiladas with New Mexico Red Chile Sauce

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 5 (2 enchiladas each)

For the Red Chile Sauce

• 6 dried New Mexico chiles (stems and seeds removed)
• 2 cups hot water (for soaking)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher), roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)

For the Enchiladas

• 10 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 oz fresh baby spinach (or one 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese, for topping
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Soak the chiles. Place dried New Mexico chiles in a medium bowl and pour 2 cups of hot (just off the boil) water over them. Weight them down with a small plate if needed. Soak for 20 minutes until fully softened.
2. Blend the sauce. Transfer softened chiles and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add broth, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and dark chocolate. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Taste and adjust salt.
3. Fry the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Carefully pour the blended chile sauce into the hot oil (it will spatter briefly). Stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce deepens in color and thickens slightly. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
4. Make the filling. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add spinach in batches, stirring until fully wilted (or add thawed frozen spinach and stir to combine). Season with cumin and salt. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in ricotta, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack, and 1/2 cup cheddar.
5. Prepare the tortillas. Preheat oven to 375°F. Warm tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side until pliable. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
6. Assemble. Spread 1/2 cup of the red chile sauce evenly across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling down the center of each tortilla, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
7. Sauce and top. Pour remaining chile sauce evenly over the enchiladas, spreading to coat. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Monterey Jack and 1/2 cup cheddar over the top.
8. Bake. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned at the edges.
9. Finish and serve. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Top with crumbled cotija and fresh cilantro if using. Serve directly from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving — 2 enchiladas with sauce)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 19g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 690mg