Guys Welcome to Selena week! An entire week dedicated entirely to recipes, cocktails, memories inspired by our South Texas Reina Selena Quintanilla. I am SO excited to share this week with you, plus a full recap of the exclusive Raised on Selena dinner I hosted along with Soy Tejana for media and local influencers. Selena was a huge inspiration to me growing up. Her dedication to her music, fans, and creative journey paved the way for Latinas y Tejanas to work hard, hustle and dream big. For our fun giveaways, please head over to the Soy Tejana Instagram page.
We’re on day 5 of Selena Week! So far I have shared Tex-Mex Pizza inspired by Selena, the Olive Garden Salad with Spicy Dressing Selena was obsessed with, a cocktail lovingly named after one of her BIGGEST songs the Dreaming of You Creamy Coca-Cola Cocktail and an ooey gooey Coca-Cola cake.
Today I’m sharing stacked beef enchiladas inspired by one of Selena’s favorite spots.
Now, let’s get our bidi bidi bom bom on!
Walk into the Hi-Ho restaurant in Corpus Christi on Morgan street and you instantly know you have walked into a special place. You can feel the love, devotion and impact Selena had on her community.
Those who were born and raised in South Texas know that Hi-Ho was one of Selena’s favorite spots. She visited the restaurant often with her parents.
Before I hosted the Raised on Selena dinner I wanted to visit a few places Selena frequented as inspiration for my menu. My daughters and I arrived at Hi-Ho at noon – big mistake. The parking lot is quite small, so we drove around the block a few times before we could find parking.
Did you know: Hi-Hi is located only a few miles from the Selena museum which is housed inside Q-Productions where Selena recorded her music.
The walls of Hi-Ho are covered with photos of Selena flashing her signature smile and Selena signature fashion. Our waitress was terrific – I instantly wanted to be her best friend. She lovingly explained in detail to my daughter what were Selena’s favorite plates – she told them “the enchiladas were her favorite and the carne guisada, so Y’all should try those plates.” We ordered the enchiladas, the carne guisada and of course the fideo.
While we waited for our food I watched a family arrive with their children. As they sat down they explained that this was one of Selna’s favorite places to eat. It made me happy to see that her legacy will span into future generations.
Did you know: The morning Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, her father was having breakfast at Hi-Ho.
Today I want to share a version of Selena’s favorite enchiladas from Hi-Ho. At Hi-Ho they are served rolled accompanied by rice and beans. For my Raised on Selena dinner, I served these enchiladas stacked. My guests loved them – it was one of the most requested items of the evening.
Lightly fried tortillas are dipped in a red chile sauce then stacked and stuffed with ground beef and plenty of cheddar cheese. Baked until bubbly makes a hearty weekday meal delicious enough to please a hungry crowd.
Stacked Beef Enchiladas
Yield 8 Serves
Lightly fried tortillas are dipped in a red chile sauce then stacked and stuffed with ground beef and plenty of cheddar cheese. Baked until bubbly makes a hearty weekday meal delicious enough to please a hungry crowd.
Ingredients
For Beef Filling:
1 1/2 cups white onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup flour
2 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Chile Sauce:
7 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 árbol or ancho chiles, stems removed
For Enchiladas:
1 cup vegetable oil
Corn tortillas
Beef filling
Grated cheddar or American cheese
Diced white onions for garnish
Diced radishes for garnish
Instructions
For Beef Filling:
To a blender or food processor add onion and garlic – puree until smooth. To a dutch pan over medium-high heat add purée, ground beef, and 1/2 cup water, cook breaking up meat with a spoon until meat is fully cooked, about 15 minutes.
In a skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat until hot. Lower heat, add flour, and stir continuously until the flour turns a light golden brown.
Heat beef broth and 2 cups water over low heat in a small saucepan or in a microwave oven. Combine all spices and add to flour mixture along with broth and ground beef and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes or until mixture is the consistency of gravy. Set aside until ready to assemble.
For Chile Sauce:
7 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 árbol or ancho chiles, stems removed
Place chiles and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, adding water if needed. Let cool 15 minutes. Purée the chiles and water in a blender or food processor on high speed until smooth. Pass the purée through a strainer to remove any skins.
To assemble the Enchiladas:
1 cup vegetable oil
24 corn tortillas
Chile Sauce
Beef Filling
5 cups grated cheddar or American cheese (reserve 1 cup for garnish)
1 cup white onion, diced (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly fry each tortilla. Stack on a plate, keep warm until ready to assemble. When ready to assemble the enchiladas, dip a tortilla in the chile sauce one at a time and place on baking sheet. Spoon beef filling over first tortilla and top with cheese. Repeat this process one more time adding beef filling and topping with cheese. Dip last tortilla and place over last layer – sprinkle with cheese. Your enchilada stack will consist of three tortillas each.
Bake until cheese is melted – 10-12 minutes. Serve warm garnished with diced onions or diced radishes.
Notes
Recipe adapted by Sylvia Casaeras
Courses Dinner Lunch
Cuisine Tex-Mex
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