Rich and cheesy, these Creamy Seafood Enchiladas are worth pulling out the stretchy pants.
I’m happy to be partnering with Monterey Mushrooms to introduce their new product, Let’s Blend. While this is a sponsored conversation, all opinions are my own.
As much as I’m hesitant to admit, Brian and I have become regulars at a local Mexican restaurant near our home. There’s never been a wait, the staff is friendly and efficient, and the food has yet to fail in meeting expectations, regardless of what we’ve ordered.
The problem with this scenario is the over-indulgence in the chips and salsa, y’all. Without fail I overdo it and cannot contain myself when the chips and salsa come to the table.
Sometimes, I eat so many chips that I can barely eat my meal. #truth
So this week, rather than heading to our usual go-to spot, I decided to attempt recreating their Seafood Enchiladas at home….where there are no chips and salsa tempting me to overdo things.
I figured it couldn’t be that difficult.
Shrimp, crab, mushrooms, seasoning + cheese.
And then I remembered having been introduced to Monterey Mushroom’s new product, Let’s Blend, in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago and knew that the time I was about to save from not having to chop mushrooms could be spent on a homemade mornay sauce.
Brand new to the market, Let’s Blend is pre-packaged and pre-seasoned minced mushrooms. They have 3 flavors to choose from: Classic, Mexican and Italian.
I, of course, went with Mexican.
And yes, the box says to blend with ground meat. While that’s the original idea behind the product (spruce up your burgers, meatballs, etc), I’m here to tell you that it worked like a charm in my enchiladas.
I love adding mushrooms to recipes for the flavor and health benefits (did you know that in addition to mushrooms being fat-free, low sodium, low calorie and cholesterol free they are also rich in antioxidants like selenium that help boost the immune system) but always have to chop them pretty finely.
If we’re being honest, though, there’s something about the texture of a mushroom that doesn’t necessarily make me turn cartwheels.
The mushroom genies must’ve caught wind of my texture aversion with the development of these little wonder boxes of mushroom blends.
Seriously so easy to add the mushroom flavor benefits to your meat dishes with minimal effort. Can I get an amen for no chopping?!
These Creamy Seafood Enchiladas take a bit of prep time (thanks to the homemade cheese sauce) but are oh so worth it.
- 6-8 6 inch flour tortillas
- Seafood Mixture:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 ounces, fresh crabmeat
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons Mexican flavored Let's Blend mushrooms (or, 3 tablespoons chopped mushrooms + ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ onion powder, 1 tablespoon lime juice)
- Mornay Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup Mexi-blend shredded cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- fresh cilantro, garnish
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. (My dish was a smaller 2 quart-ish baking dish that held 6 enchiladas. You can fit 8 if using a 9x13 dish).
- Prepare the Seafood Mixture: In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the red bell pepper and onion until slightly soft. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn pink. Add the crabmeat, salt
and minced mushrooms. Once heated, remove from heat. - Prepare the Mornay Sauce: In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The longer the sauce cooks, the thicker it will get. Once it reaches desired consistency,
reduce the heat to low,add the cheese andstir until melted. Remove from heat, and add the sour cream. - Add half of the sauce to the seafood mixture and set the remaining sauce aside.
- Fill each tortilla with several tablespoons of seafood mixture, roll tightly and place the tortillas seam down in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. (Once golden, I turn the oven to broil and allow my additional cheese super golden).
- Remove from oven, and allow the enchiladas to rest for about 8-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with some chopped cilantro, if desired.
Serve with a side of Mexican rice and you’re all set to have date night at home.
Totally up to you whether or not you decide to go for the full restaurant experience by allowing yourself the chips and salsa.
Locally, you can find the Let’s Blend mushroom mixes at Rouses. For anyone non-local, here’s the full list of retailers carrying the brand spanking new Let’s Blend: Let’s Blend Retailers
Big thank you to Monterey Mushrooms for sponsoring Kitchen Play LIVE in Philadelphia and introducing me to Let’s Blend.
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