Recipe Snapshots: Breakfast Enchiladas and Hot Tomato Grits

I did not make these Breakfast Enchiladas.  Just want to be upfront about that.  My mom made them the morning after Christmas.  This was the second time we'd had these, and it was so yummy.  Many breakfast casseroles are too heavy...but this one, while being filling and hearty, just doesn't feel like a lead brick.  And when you serve it with Hot Tomato Grits on the side?  Perfection!

Recipes below the cut!


Breakfast Enchiladas, from Southern Living magazine, December 2004.
Serves: 6-8.  Time: 1 hour (30 minutes of baking).

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce

• 1/3  cup  butter
• 1/3  cup  flour
• 3  cups  milk
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1  (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt

Enchiladas

• 1  (1-pound) package hot ground pork sausage (could substitute turkey sausage)
• 2  tablespoons butter or margarine
• 4  green onions, thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 14  large eggs, beaten
• 3/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon pepper
• Cheese Sauce (see above)
• 8  (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños
• Toppings: halved grape tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Tip: Make the cheese sauce before scrambling the eggs; it should take about 8 minutes. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and whisk in remaining ingredients.

1. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove from pan; drain well, pressing between paper towels.
2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and cilantro, and sauté 1 minute. 
3. Add eggs, salt, and pepper, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of pan to form large curds. Continue to cook until eggs are thickened but still moist; do not stir constantly. 
4. Remove from heat, and gently fold in 1 1/2 cups Cheese Sauce and sausage.
5. Spoon about 1/3 cup egg mixture down the center of each flour tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in a lightly greased 13- x- 9-inch baking dish.  (Note: I think my mom only used 6 or 7 tortillas, and baked them in a smaller dish, since there were just 4 of us.)
6. Pour remaining Cheese Sauce evenly over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with Monterey Jack cheese.
7. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Serve with desired toppings.

Hot Tomato Grits, from Southern Living magazine, December 2008
Serves: 6.  Time: 40 minutes.


Ingredients

• 2  bacon slices, chopped
• 2  (14 1/2-oz.) cans chicken broth
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 2  large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2  tablespoons canned chopped green chiles
• 1  cup  (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
• Garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, shredded Cheddar cheese

 Directions

1. Cook bacon in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving drippings in pan. Drain bacon on paper towels.
2. Gradually add chicken broth and salt to hot drippings in pan; bring to a boil. 
3. Stir in grits, tomatoes, and green chiles; return to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Stir in Cheddar cheese until melted. Top with chopped bacon. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately.