Do you want a great cheese enchilada recipe? Cheese enchiladas are very easy to make and are great for entertaining as most of the preparation can be done ahead. Whether you're cooking for a Cinco de Mayo party or just preparing dinner for the family, this page will help you learn how to make cheese enchiladas, step by step.

• A cheese enchilada consists of a corn tortilla, filled with one or more cheeses, rolled, and baked in enchilada sauce. The most time consuming part of the preparation is making the enchilada sauce, which can be done ahead of time. Assembling the enchiladas takes only minutes.

Beans make a great accompaniment to enchiladas (Creative Commons photo by Joe M500)

Cheese Enchilada Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 pound of mild cheese or cheeses, such as cheddar or Monterey Jack, shredded
• Salsa, sour cream, cilantro, chopped lettuce and guacamole, as desired, for garnish

Enchilada Sauce Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of salsa
• 3 Tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup of canned tomatoes, crushed
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet.
2. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Add 1 cup of salsa and mix well.
4. Combine the tomato paste and water and stir until blended.
5. Add tomato paste mixture top the skillet.
6. Add the tomatoes and sugar, and simmer for 20 minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet.
3. Place a tortilla in the skillet briefly to soften
4. Remove tortilla from skillet and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cheese on the bottom third of the tortilla.
5. Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla up over the filling.
6. Beginning at the bottom, roll the tortilla up completely.
7. Place the tortilla in a greased baking dish, seam side down.
8. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
9. Pour enchilada sauce over filled tortillas.
10. Top with any unused cheese.
11. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes