Ali Cooks: Shrimp Enchiladas

Brian and I bought SHRIMP!  Uncooked, full-sized SHRIMP!  (Yes, it was already peeled and deveined...but still, we're fancy!)

Shrimps were purchased for no special occasion other than Brian and I having an urge to cook shrimp.  I promised Brian that I could make him a YUMMY shrimp enchilada, and Brian promised me that he'd make a tasty shrimp stir-fry.  (Hasn't happened yet, but the shrimps are frozen, so it'll happen next week!)

So yes, the enchiladas were made, and Brian was my soux chef the night I made them.  We really have improved in our ability to help each other in the kitchen.  (It used to be a battle of quarrels, stepping on each other's toes, etc.)  It was a pleasantly surprising cooking experience, and he was EXTREMELY helpful!  The best part:  He loved the enchiladas!  We even put red pepper in them, and he said he couldn't taste it!  Personally, I thought the red pepper flavor was pretty strong (in a good way).  There's also the option of adding tomatoes to the enchiladas...but Brian was NOT going to let that happen!  (Too bad tomatoes are one of my favorite ingredients...)

Set aside a little time, set aside a little money (for the shrimps!), and make enchiladas!  Maybe you'll be able to stretch the filling and make an even eight instead of seven like Brian and I!  Haha!

Shrimp Enchiladas

*adapted from TideAndThyme.com

Ingredients:

3 tbs. butter

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red bell pepper, diced
¼ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. salt
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tsp. flour
6 tbs. heavy cream
¼ cup Greek yogurt
8 oz. shredded cheese (such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.)
7 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray

Instructions:

In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp to the

pan in an even layer and let cook about one minute.  Flip the shrimp over and continue to cook until just pink and opaque, 30-60 seconds longer.  Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

 When the shrimp is cool enough to handle, roughly chop into bite sized pieces, if desired.

After emptying the pan of any liquid from the cooked shrimp, melt the remaining butter.  Add the diced bell pepper, and cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the thyme, salt, cayenne, and flour to the pan; stir well and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.  Lower the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream to the pan, stirring to scrape any browned bits from the bottom.  Cook just until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the sour cream, half of the shredded cheese, and the tomatoes.  Return the shrimp to the pan as well, and mix everything together until the sauce is well blended and the cheese is melted.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Scoop 1/3 cup of the filling and sauce mixture down the center of a tortilla.  Sprinkle lightly with some of the reserved cheese.  

Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam side-down in the  prepared baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining filling, tortillas and cheese.  Spray the tops of the finished assembled tortillas lightly with cooking spray. 

 Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.  Let cool for a few minutes (if you choose to!).