Swiss Enchiladas

[Laurence Horn]

At 1:39 PM -0500 10/19/01, Mark Odegard wrote:
>Barry writes:
>>SWISS ENCHILADAS (continued)
>>
>>    I think I once posted a 1969 citation (check archives).  From Sam
>>Huddleston's TEX-MEX COOKBOOK (1971), Pg. 11:
>>
>>    _ENCHILADAS SUIZA (Swiss Enchiladas)_
>>(...)
>>    The makins for this heavenly dish are as follows:
>>1 dozen tortillas
>>1 pt. sour cream
>>1 can tomatoes
>>1 small can of green chiles (see footnote)
>>1 clove diced garlic
>>2 diced onions
>>1/2 lb. cheddar cheese grated
>>a kiss of oregano
>>deep fat
>
>So far as I know, the Swiss cheese and the sour cream are not authentic to
>Mexican cuisine, but rather, are a north-of-the-border development.
>Correctly or not, I've tended to associate sour cream with 'Cal-Mex', while
>5-alarm chili and the such is 'Tex-Mex'.
>
Agreed.  "Enchiladas suizas" (always rendered in that form) were a
standard casserole item at graduate student parties and potlucks in
LA in the late '60s, and I've never had them or even seen them
anywhere else.  The recipe was similar, but without the deep fat
frying and sometimes with chicken in the filling.  Notice that Mark
refers to Swiss cheese, but the recipe Barry reprints calls for
cheddar.  I recall Monterey Jack being used in this and similar
"Cal-Mex" recipes but the enchiladas were still called Swiss.

larry