DIY Green Enchilada Sauce

Homemade green enchilada sauce is something I've thought about attempting for a long time.  I just cringe when I read the ingredients on any of the cans at the store......like this one found here:



Ick. 

No soybean oil, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, corn syrup solids, artificial colors, or yeast extract (aka MSG) needed here.

So this recipe I found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe was intriguing because it involves roasting poblano or anaheim peppers before cooking them in the sauce. I don't have a gas stove to roast them on, but I do have an oven, which works just as well.  It really couldn't be easier.

After the peppers are ready, it's just a few more simple ingredients to simmer together on the stove, and then a quick whir in the food processor if you want a smooth sauce (I did), or you can just leave it chunky.
Presto!  You're ready to make enchiladas or Mexican stewed pork or any other thing you make with green enchilada sauce.

It's a little spicy, so full of flavor, and completely free of weird ingredients that I don't want to feed my family. Win/Win.


DIY Green Enchilada Sauce
from Rebekah's Family, Food, and Fun

3-4 Anaheim or Poblano chile peppers OR 1 cup canned diced green chiles, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium jalapeno, finely diced (optional)

To roast peppers:

Preheat oven broiler to high. Wash and dry peppers and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil about 6 inches below the top oven element for 3-5 minutes on each side, until charred and blackened.
Remove from oven and immediately fold the foil up over the peppers and fold shut. The steam will help the peppers to peel easily.  After about 15 minutes, open the foil. The peppers should be cool enough to handle and the skin will slide right off. Cut off the stem, scoop out the seeds and discard, and dice the peppers.

To make the sauce: 

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic; cook until the onions are softened, but not browned.
Stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Don't worry about clumps - just let the flour get golden and toasted.
Gradually add the broth, whisking quickly and constantly to smooth out any lumps.
Add all the remaining ingredients, including 1 cup of the diced peppers, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The sauce should be silky and thickened - able to coat a spoon but still drip off. Add more broth to thin out if needed.
Add additional salt to taste, if needed. Process sauce in a blender or food processor if you prefer a smoother consistency.

Sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for up to a month or two if well sealed.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

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DIY Pizza Sauce

I don't know about your family, but mine goes crazy for pizza.  

I most commonly make Barbecue Chicken Bacon Pizza, but lately I've been making this sauce

and just making plain bacon pizza.  

I've tried several variations on homemade pizza sauce over the years, and this one tops them all.

Grant was so surprised when he first tasted it......he declared it his absolute favorite sauce.  

Now, the original recipe called for 2 tsp. of red pepper flakes - I thought that would be a little much for our tastes and toned it back to half a teaspoon.  It's just right for our family - but you can certainly up the heat factor if you want. 

I love that it makes a big batch and I can freeze half for later.....making my next pizza baking day a lot easier.  I love that it has no artificial ingredients or corn syrup or anything objectionable like that, unlike the store bought sauces.  And I love that it's so inexpensive to make.  

You can leave the sauce chunky with the tomatoes if you prefer - but since I have several kids who swear they don't like tomatoes, I don't dare even try that option.  Smooth is best for us.  I run it through the blender for a few seconds and we're good to go.  Everyone's happy, and the pizza is delicious.  

DIY Pizza Sauce (adapted slightly from Annie's Eats)

28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

3 T. olive oil
1 T. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more if you want)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Allow to cook for at least 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  If you prefer a smoother sauce, pour the sauce into a blender and process until chunks of tomatoes are broken up.  You could also use an immersion blender if you have one.  You can leave it chunky if you prefer.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield:  Enough for 5-6 14" pizzas, depending on how thick you like your sauce.