Rancho Cheese, Onion, and Olive Enchiladas

This easy-to-make California-style enchilada dish is bursting with intriguing tastes.

Mild, sweet onions, healthful olives, and plenty of sharp cheddar combine with flour tortillas and store-bought red sauce to make a fast and flavorful supper that your family and friends will ask for again and again.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups diced onions
12 thin flour tortillas, preferably 10 to 12 inches in diameter
3 cups mild red chile sauce, warmed
3/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup sliced pitted, brine-packed olives

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a medium baking dish that is at least as wide as your tortillas.

2. In a large, heavy skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should become translucent and very soft, but not brown. Reduce the heat if needed to achieve the desired texture.

3. Dip a tortilla into the chile sauce and place it on a plate. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the onions down the center of the tortilla. Scatter a couple of teaspoons of olive slices over the onions. Fold the tortilla in half and, with a spatula, transfer the enchilada to the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling ingredients, placing each enchilada so that it overlaps the pervious one. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and then sprinkle on the remaining filling ingredients.

4. Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Some tortillas will puff a bit as they cook. Serve the enchiladas piping hot.

Serves 6.