Restore the Zest: How to Reheat Enchiladas to Deliciousness

When you come home from a long day, the last thing on your mind is cooking dinner.

You don’t want to spend all of your time in the kitchen when you could be relaxing with friends or family.

One great way to solve this problem is by heating enchiladas leftovers for dinner.

These Mexican treats are delicious and easy to make ahead of time so that you can reheat them later.

This blog post will show you how to reheat these yummy dishes while still tasting as good as fresh baked.

Can You Make Enchiladas a Day Ahead?

Yes, of course, you can. It’s all about proper planning and preparation.

There are a few things you can do the day before to make your life easier on enchilada-making day:

Preparing The Tortillas: If using corn tortillas, freeze them until they’re hard, then store them in an airtight container for up to one month; if flour tortillas, wrap tightly with plastic and again date according to when prepared (up to two days).

This will keep your hands from getting too messy because cooking times vary based on how wet or dry each family’s recipe happens to be.

Browning The Meat: If using ground beef, brown in a large skillet with some oil on medium-high heat and then drain the fat before adding veggies; if using chicken or turkey cutlet, pan-fry until cooked through but not dry.

Assembling The Enchiladas: One day ahead of time, you can make your enchiladas by cooking them one at a time while they’re still wrapped up in foil (plus, it’s fewer dishes to clean).

Place a single layer of tortilla on a plate, top with desired fillings such as shredded cheese, pork carnitas, and sliced avocado.

Fold over two opposite sides of the tortilla to form a triangle shape, rolling tightly around, filling like a burrito..

Getting The Enchilada Sauce Ready: If you’re using canned enchilada sauce, make a batch of the store-bought stuff and keep it in an airtight container or jar for up to one week on your pantry shelf.

Or whip up some homemade red chile sauce with this recipe.

Baking The Enchiladas: Place cans upright around the oven’s bottom rack perimeter so they are not touching; preheat oven as directed below (350°F).

Bake enchiladas according to package directions, about 18 minutes total, but cooking time will vary depending on the type of meat used, how wet or dry each family’s recipe happens to be, size/shape of tortillas, and oven temperature.

Remove from the oven; loosen edges with a metal spatula to ensure they are not too crispy on one side, then serve or store (see below).

Serving The Enchiladas: Allow the enchiladas to cool for about 15 minutes before serving, so they’re not too hot near your mouth.

Use an alternate plate if you want something different than their original cardboard container as your serving dish.

Serve topped with shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped cilantro leaves, and crumbled queso fresco cheese.

Then top off each platter of enchiladas with a dollop of sour cream smeared across the center using the back of a spoon.

How Do You Store Leftover Enchiladas?

Hate to see a good enchilada go to waste, and don’t want your fridge smelling like sour sauce? Follow these simple steps to store the leftovers.

• After you’ve eaten your enchiladas, cover them with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container.

• If the enchiladas have a light sauce on them, put them in a container with sour cream to keep it from drying out and getting crusty.

• If they are messy or wet, you can place paper towels over the top before putting the lid on.

• Once cooled, refrigerate your enchilada container for up to three days.

When you’re ready to serve them again, let the enchiladas come back to room temperature before reheating in the oven or microwave.

• You can also freeze the enchiladas by placing them in an airtight container or freezer bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing. They’ll retain their original flavor and texture after thawing out.

• Pack each portion in a ziplock bag or Tupperware for the next day’s lunch.

• Or, heat your enchilada meal in its original container in the microwave before leaving it out of refrigeration to bring with you on the go as well.

How to Keep Enchiladas Warm?

Enchiladas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes. They’re best-served piping hot with a side of rice and beans.

To keep them that way, here are some tips:

• A great way of keeping them warm is by using a casserole dish with low sides and then covering it tightly with aluminum foil so that heat cannot escape.

• If you’re taking them to a party, carry the casserole dish with handles and place it in a sturdy box.
• Cover the enchiladas entirely with aluminum foil so that they don’t get cold before reaching their destination.

• If you’re rewarming the enchiladas, add a little bit of water to moisten them, and they’ll be just as good as when they were freshly made.

How to Reheat Enchiladas in a Microwave?

If you’re craving enchiladas and don’t have time to make them, you can quickly reheat them in the microwave.

First, place your enchiladas on a plate with an overturned bowl or a deep dish to catch any sauce that might spill out of the tortilla wrap.

Next, cover it with wax paper and put another plate over the top for two layers of protection.

Place this stack into the microwave and heat until warmed through (about one minute) before removing from the microwave, uncovering, and enjoying.

Soggy enchiladas are the worst and should be avoided at all costs.

To avoid this problem, covering them in parchment paper or aluminum foil will also help keep that nasty sogginess at bay.

You may find your tortillas get dry as they cool, so it’s best not to leave any unused ones wrapped up for too long after you’ve heated through your meal (less than an hour).

If this does happen, don’t worry – add some oil to moisten them back up again.

It’s important to remember that these microwaves vary in strength, so adjust accordingly.

If your microwave has an auto-sensor, then heat for one minute on high power.

But if not? You may need up to two minutes, depending on how powerful your microwave is.

How to Reheat Enchiladas in an Oven?

To make things easy on your busy schedule, it’s time for a quick and straightforward solution that will have those tasty Mexican dishes ready for eating again in no time at all.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Place the enchiladas in a baking dish that has been lightly greased with cooking oil or sprayed with nonstick spray.

• Cover the enchilada casserole loosely with aluminum foil and place it into the preheated oven for 25 minutes until heated through, about 12 minutes if only reheating one serving of enchiladas.

• Remove from heat and allow them to sit covered for another five minutes before uncovering and serving.

You can also use this same method on Mexican rice, refried beans, tamales, or any other leftover goodies you happen to have in your fridge.

How to Reheat Enchiladas in the Toaster Oven?

How do you reheat enchiladas if the only oven is unavailable?

The answer lies in your toaster oven.

Just make sure to keep an eye on them and don’t use more time than necessary.

To reheat enchiladas in a toaster oven, you’ll need some aluminum foil and perhaps a dishcloth.

First, cover your enchiladas with the foil, and then put them on one of the racks inside of your toaster oven.

Next, set your timer for about 5 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit and wait for it to beep.

You should check after one or 2minutes if needed – they are done when they’re warm all over without any heat spots from uneven heating.

There are many reasons why you might need to reheat enchiladas in the toaster oven.

Maybe you’re a college student without access to a range, or maybe there’s no one home, and you want your dinner ready before bedtime.

Whatever the reason, know that it is possible.

Just keep an eye on them while cooking so they don’t burn – and make sure not to use too much time.

How Do You Reheat Enchiladas If They Aren’t Soggy?

When we’re trying to enjoy a bowl of our favorite enchiladas, the last thing we want is for them to turn soggy and wet.

We want every bite to be as flavorful and delicious as the previous.

Now, while it may seem like there’s no way around this dinner dilemma, fear not.

We have some tips on how you can reheat your leftover enchiladas so that they don’t get too watery or overcooked.

• Try using aluminum foil: Wrap up those leftovers in a giant piece of extra-thick foil to ensure nothing seeps out during cooking.

• Use an oven bag: Yes, these things are expensive but sometimes worth investing in if you plan on making lots of dishes with dry foods.

• Heat the oven to 250°: This is a little lower than usual, and it gives you that extra time to make sure your enchiladas are heated through without becoming soggy.

• Heat for 30 minutes: If your oven isn’t set to a lower temp, you might want to reduce the cooking time – if not by half, then at least by 20-30%. Just make sure those enchiladas are heated through before serving.

• Microwave at 50% power: If you’re in a hurry, pop those leftovers into the microwave and heat them for about one minute at 50%.

• Leave it out overnight to cool down: This doesn’t work for soup or anything that could get too watery, but if you have some chips leftover from last night’s game, then this is your best bet.

How to Reheat Frozen Enchiladas?

For those out there who love Mexican food but don’t always have the time or energy to cook it from scratch, frozen enchiladas are a great option.

Not only can they be cooked in just minutes and served by themselves without any other side dishes necessary.

Once thawed, these containers of goodness will stay fresh for up to three days after cooking before needing reheating again.

But how do we go about heating them so that our delicious dinner is at its best?

To reheat frozen enchiladas, make sure the container is completely thawed.

Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a baking dish with oil or cooking spray.

Scoop out one enchilada at a time from the frozen state into the greased pan.

Place in the back of the oven for 12-18 minutes until heated through (this will depend on microwave type).

If microwaving these instead, place them on a paper towel before warming up to don’t get soggy.

Serve and enjoy this tasty meal again with family or friends any day you want without cooking it fresh each time.

These are perfect if you’re going somewhere like camping where there’s no kitchen but still want Mexican food.

Conclusion

Enchiladas are best served hot and fresh, but sometimes life happens.

This post has given you some great tips on how to reheat enchiladas.

We hope that these strategies will help make your life a little bit easier in the kitchen.

Which of these methods did you find most helpful?

Did you have any other questions about this topic? Let us know, and we can answer them for you.

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