I know that it is important to eat healthy when you can, but there are always occasions when it is okay to splurge as well!

Usually those occasions are holidays when the family gets together to have fun and eat great food. In particular, we love to get together with family on Memorial Day and the 4th of July for picnics and BBQs.

In addition to the meat, salads, and other great foods that we enjoy on those holiday, we always love to have great desserts too. When we can make desserts that have the same theme as the holiday it is even better!

That is why we decided to make these delicious red, white, and blue popcorn balls for the 4th of July this year! They are so easy to make and are very patriotic. I am definitely going to make this a regular for Memorial Day and the 4th of July going forward!

The great thing is that you can take the same basic recipe and just change the colors for other holidays – like Christmas or Halloween too!

How To Make 4th of July Popcorn Balls

To make these, you will start by making a delicious homemade marshmallow cream sauce that consists of marshmallows, butter, and sugar.

Once the marshmallow cream sauce is ready, you will add it to the already popped popcorn and stir before moving on to the next step.

You will want to let it cool a little bit before you grab the mix with your hands to form the balls, because it will be extremely hot at this point! Don’t let them cool too long though, because you still want to be able to form them.

Once they have cooled for maybe 5-10 minutes, you will want to put some oil or butter on your hand to keep them from sticking. Then carefully form the popcorn balls and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet to continue cooling.

The final step in the process is to melt these colored red, white, and blue candy melts like these, and then put each color in a separate small plastic bag with a small opening cut in the bottom corner.

Carefully drizzle onto the popcorn balls and let cool completely before removing and putting on the serving plate to take to your event.

What is your favorite food for Memorial Day and the 4th of July?

Check Out These Great Snack Ideas

• Rice Krispie Treat Pops (Red, White, and Blue)
• How To Make Authentic Sweet Tamales (3 Different Varieties)
• The Best Churros Recipe with Sweet Piloncillo Dipping Sauce
• Honey Bunches of Oats® Marshmallow Bars
• White Chocolate Striped Peanut Butter Blossoms

Print

Red, White and Blue Popcorn Balls

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 1 Bag of Popcorn popped
• 6-10 Red Candy Melts
• 6-10 White Candy Melts
• 6-10 Blue Candy Melts
• 1 Bag of Jumbo Marshmallows
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 1/2 Cup of Granulated Sugar

Instructions

• Start by melting the butter, together with the sugar of medium low heat, until completed melted and combined.
• Add the bag of marshmallows and continue to cook of medium low heat until the marshmallows are completed melted and you have a smooth marshmallow cream.
• Add the marshmallow cream to a large bowl with the popcorn and mix well.
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
• Add some butter or oil to your hands and form the popcorn balls, placing each on the parchment paper.
• Melt the candy melts per package instructions and add each to a separate plastic bag, cutting a small hole in the corner.
• Drizzle the candy melts on each popcorn ball and let cool completely before serving.

The post Red, White and Blue Popcorn Balls appeared first on My Latina Table.

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There is nothing better than making delicious food with totally fresh ingredients, which is a common characteristic of authentic Mexican cuisine. Ever since I shared my recipe for enchiladas verdes here on my site, people have been asking me to share my enchiladas rojas (red enchiladas) recipe.

Today, I am going to do just that. Keep reading to find out how how to make these delicious enchiladas with a homemade, creamy, and delicious red enchilada sauce.

The key to what makes this recipe great is the homemade red enchilada sauce. It is made with dry chilies, that you can find online or in the Hispanic section at your local grocery store.

To add the perfect amount of creaminess, this enchilada sauce includes a touch of heavy whipping cream. You can find pre-made red enchilada sauce in most store in many different varieties, but there is nothing like this homemade version. One bite, and you will believe me!

Red Enchilada Recipe

For this recipe you will need 2 ancho chilies, and 3 Anaheim or guajillo chilies. They will need to be de-seeded and boiled. If you need a refresher on how to do that, check it out on my barbacoa tacos recipe.

You will also need 4 fresh tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/4 onion, all lightly charred. Finally, you will also need 2 tablespoons of sour cream (separate from the heavy whipping cream). You will blend all of the ingredients together, before straining out any leftover seeds and heating it up before adding to the the enchiladas.

The chicken filling is almost as important as the sauce in making sure that these red enchiladas are the best ever. This recipe reminds me of growing up in Mexico when my mom would always make this easy recipe on the weekends so that we had more time to do family activities.

I remember how my mom always used to teach me how to season the sauce and the chicken filling while we spent time together talking and having fun.

These delicious red enchiladas go great with freshly chopped lettuce and radishes, and topped with queso fresco – or any other cheese that you want. My husband uses mozzarella, because he is not a big fan of queso fresco.

Another great thing about these enchiladas is that they don’t have to be baked, but they can be! We have tried them both way, and both are delicious!

How did they turn out for you?

If you loved this recipe, check out these other delicious meals:

• Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas with Pico De Gallo
• Fast and Easy Mexican Mole Enchiladas
• Homemade Enchiladas Verdes
• Tacos Al Pastor Recipe Homemade Version
  

  Print

  The Best Red Enchilada Recipe

  Once you try this red enchilada sauce, you will never need to buy store-bought again!

  Course Main Course

  Cuisine Mexican

  Keyword enchiladas, mexican recipe

  Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

  Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

  Total Time 30 minutes minutes

  Servings 14 enchiladas

  Calories 180kcal

  Author Charbel Barker

  Ingredients

  For the Red Enchilada Sauce

  • 2 Ancho Chilies dried, de-seeded and boiled.
  • 3 dried Guajillo or Anaheim Pepper de-seeded and boiled.
  • 4 Fresh tomatoes lightly grilled
  • 2 cloves of garlic lightly grilled
  • 1/4 onion lightly grilled
  • 3 Tablespoons of sour cream
  • 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

  For the Chicken Filling

  • 1 Chicken Breast cooked and shredded
  • 4 Ounces of Cream Cheese
  • 1/4 red onion chopped
  • Cilantro
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

  Accompaniments

  • 14 Tortillas

  Instructions

  For the Red Enchilada Sauce

  • Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce except for the heavy whipping cream, and blend until smooth.
  • Strain out any seeds and add to a skillet, bringing to a slight boil.
  • Add the heavy whipping cream, and let boil for 5 additional minutes. Reduce heat to low.

  For the Chicken Filling

  • In a hot skillet, add a small amount of olive oil and then add the shredded chicken, the onion, and the cilantro.
  • After about 5 minutes, add the cream cheese, and stir in with the chicken until well incorporated.
  • Season with salt and pepper and let cook for an additional five minutes.

  To Make the Enchiladas

  • Lightly fry the corn tortillas in oil and pat dry.
  • Dip each tortilla in the red enchilada sauce, covering both sides completely.
  • Fill each tortilla with some of the chicken filling, and some cheese if desired.
  • At this point you can add them to a baking dish, top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
  • If you do not want to bake them, just put them on a plate, top with lettuce, cheese, and radish and serve immediately.

  Nutrition

  Serving: 1enchiladas | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1865IU | Vitamin C: 4.9mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1.5mg

The post The Best Enchiladas Recipe (Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce) appeared first on My Latina Table.