One of Austin’s oldest restaurants is the venerable Texas Chili Parlor; its motto is “E Pluribus Chili,” and its signature dish comes in three levels of heat: X, XX, and XXX. The X is fantastic: plenty spicy, but you can still taste the other flavors. To my taste, XX is just slightly over the line between hot and too hot. And the XXX—well, let’s just say they make you sign a waiver before you can order it, and I never have. Besides the basic chili, my favorite item on the menu is the cheese enchiladas topped with the chili. They call them Frieda’s Enchiladas, and in all the years I went there, I never asked who Frieda was. I guess my mouth was always full, on fire, or both. This is my interpretation based on countless samplings. Now, this recipe may make enough for two servings, depending on your appetite and whether you eat beans and rice on the side, but I confess: I’m usually a four-enchilada man, meaning I have to commit to some extra time at the gym, but it’s worth it.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 or 2 servings

　　4 corn tortillas, preferably homemade (page 84)

　　Cooking oil spray or extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

　　1 large shallot, finely chopped

　　1 cup Texas Bowl o’ Red (page 63)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

Heat a small skillet set over medium heat, and soften the tortillas by spraying each on both sides with cooking oil spray or brushing them with olive oil, and then heating them in the skillet, one at a time, for a minute or two on each side. Transfer them to a plate and cover with a paper towel. Spray a small baking dish or pie plate with cooking oil spray or brush with more olive oil.

　　

Step 3

To roll the enchiladas, set a tortilla on your work surface and put about 3 tablespoons of cheese and 1 teaspoon of shallots about an inch or two from the edge closest to you. Roll the tortilla around the filling. Place the filled tortilla in the baking dish, seam side down. Fill the remaining tortillas and fit into the prepared baking dish. Pour the chili on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining 4 tablespoons cheese and shallots on top.

　　

Step 4

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the chili is bubbling. Transfer to a plate, and eat.

　　Reprinted with permission from Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan. Text copyright © 2011 by Joe Yonan; photographs copyright © 2011 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Joe Yonan is the food and travel editor at the Washington Post, where he writes the award-winning "Cooking for One" column. Joe's work also earned the Post the 2009 and 2010 James Beard Foundation's award for best food section. He is the former travel editor at the Boston Globe. Visit www.joeyonan.com.