When Safeway contacted me to see if I wanted to try Marcela Valladolid‘s new product line, I said, “Yes, please!” Playing with new flavors and experimenting in the kitchen is what I’m all about, so I was up for the Safeway Real Taste of Mexico Meal Solution Challenge! I may not know much about authentic Mexican cuisine, but I do know a lot about great flavor.

Marcela Valladolid’s products include ready-to cook meats (right up my alley), flavorful chips and delicious tortillas. The tortillas are no joke! These aren’t the thick crack-prone flour tortillas you’re used to- they are restaurant-quality. Her line is all about bringing quality food products and a real taste of Mexico into everyone’s home.

I started playing around with flavor combinations in my head. Lime, jalapeno, chipotle, cumin. Preparing meat has never been my forte, and I feel like it always takes forever to cook, but Marcela’s ready-to-cook meats are already seasoned, and the Al Pastor Pork only took 10 minutes, just enough time for me to whip up my cream sauce! It was so easy. I love it when I can time the different parts of my recipe just right. The pork was seasoned with a blend of citrus, guajillo chile, ancho chile, onion and spices… Translation? Tons of flavor with a little kick. And I don’t have to worry about coming up with a spice blend or marinating the meat. Thank you, Marcela!

In the end, I think you can guess, I landed on enchiladas. This is my favorite Mexican dish and always my first choice at restaurants. I made a cream sauce to balance the bold Al Pastor Pork and added a splash of lime to accent the flavors. As Xavier was scarfing down his plate, I asked “Can I make this again?” and he nodded eagerly, “Add it to the list!” “The List” is a very prestigious place to be for any recipe in the Modern Martha/Manchild household.

A friend asked me recently how I create my recipes. Well, it looks a little something like this…

I start with a vision, work on proportions, add and remove, add and remove, maybe spill a little grease on my recipe sheet to make it look like I actually did some hardwork.. and like a work of art, it is complete! Now all we have to do is give it a test run. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it!

You’re going to cook the meat according to the package instructions. She recommends grilling, but cooking it in a regular pan will do just fine. Normally I would have Xavier throw it on the grill, but it’s below 40 here in chilly Denver! Next item on my Christmas list? A grill pan! While that cooks (roughly 5 minutes on each side was perfect for mine) start up your cream sauce. Equal parts butter and flour, some chicken broth, sour cream, monterey jack cheese and lime. I could of had the sauce alone for dinner!

Once the pork is done cooking and roughly chopped, gently mix it up with the green chiles, corn, avocado, sour cream and jack cheese. I do warn you that at this point you may find yourself doing a little taste testing.. and by a little testing, I mean a LOT of testing. I’d like to think tasting as I go is the responsible thing to do.

Pour just enough of the cheese sauce in the bottom of your baking dish to cover the dish with a thin layer of sauce. Then evenly distribute the your pork mixture among the 8 tortillas. And if you end up with a tiny extra at the end and you happen to eat it, I fully support that. Fold the tortillas one side at a time (look how easily the fold!!), then place seam-down in your baking dish.

Tada!

Cover with the remaining cheese sauce. Hey, you want to top it with MORE cheese? So do I!

Mmm, golden, bubbly cheese.

Can I eat it yet? But really…

Just one little bite… Please?

Here we go!

And they all lived happily ever after.

Print Recipe Avocado Pork Enchiladas with Cheesy Lime Cream Sauce Servings: 6 -8 Author: Kelsey Smith Ingredients Enchiladas 1 package Marcela Valladolid Al Pastor Pork

4 oz diced green chiles

15 oz Safeway Whole Kernel Golden Sweet Corn drained

2 avocado diced

1/2 cup Lucerne Light Sour Cream

1 cup Lucerne Shredded Monterey Jack

8 Marcela Valladolid Flour Tortillas Cheesy Lime Cream Sauce 2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups Safeway Fat-Free Chicken Broth

1 cup Lucerne Shredded Monterey Jack

1 cup Lucerne Light Sour Cream

1 lime juiced Toppings A handful of Lucerne Shredded Monterey Jack optional

Fresh cilantro

3 Marcela Valladolid Corn Tortillas cut into strips and toasted see toasting instructions below OR a handful of crushed Marcela Valladolid Tortilla Chips Instructions Preheat the oven to 350.

Cook pork according to package instructions.

While pork cooks, start your cream sauce by melting the butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and let cook for about a minute. Add the chicken broth, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil and thickens. As it starts to boil, add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and lime juice.

Now that your meat it done cooking, roughly chop it and mix with chiles, corn, avocado, sour cream and cheese. Pour just enough cheese sauce into your baking dish to cover the bottom in a thin layer. Divide the pork mixture equally among the tortillas and fold closed one side at a time. Place them seam-down in the baking pan.

Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese on top (optional). Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese bubbles and starts to turn golden.

Top with fresh cilantro and corn tortilla strips or a handful of crushed tortilla chips. Serve and enjoy! Never made tortilla strips before? This is so simple, you will feel silly for ever having bought these from the store! Leave the oven on after you take the enchiladas out. While you wait for them to cool, cut 3 corn tortillas in half and then cut into 1/4 inch strips. My trick? A pizza cutter! Toss with a little bit of olive oil or spray with cooking spray, add a some seasoning (onion powder, garlic salt, you name it), and pop them in the oven on a cookie sheet for about 8 minutes. Voila!

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The Marcella Valladolid products used in this recipe were provided to me complimentary from Safeway. I also received a gift card to purchase additional ingredients.