Chi Chi's Seafood Enchilada/Cancun

From: Slayergenxxx aka Gen

On May 13, 2008

I attempted this recipe despite the mixed reviews for my mom for mother's day. While most reviewers say the lobster base is absolutely necessary..I decided choose a low sodium alternative. I used the seasoning packet in the shimp ramen noodles to a cup of hot water. It made a awesome substitute. As for the one reviewer's DH that said it wasn't sweet enough, it might have been the white wine used. If you use a fruity white wine, it adds a sweet flavor to it. All in all, great recipe for a beloved favorite dish and restaurant!

From: Chef #462875

On May 10, 2008

What a disappointment!!! I believe the recipe wasn't the problem but it was probably the lobster base I used. I'd never heard of Lobster Base, so I went on line and found it on Amazon. I ordered it just for this recipe and ordered two jars, thinking I could find lots of uses for it. The brand is "Better than Bouillon". I halved the recipe and followed it absolutely exactly. BUT, the enchiladas were so salty that we couldn't eat them!! And we like salt!! After dinner, we were trying to see what went wrong and discovered that there is no salt called for in the recipe and I had not added any. Even the butter was non-salt. Finally, we read that the Lobster Base has 800 mg of sodium per tsp and I had used a tablespoon (half of what the reciepe called for) i.e. 2400 mg of sodium. No wonder our mouths were burning with salt! We threw the whole thing out and obviously were very disappointed. I now want to check and see how much sodium is in other venders lobster base. I have two jars of "better than Bouillon". Does anyone want them?

From: touchdown6

On May 20, 2006

I used this recipe as a base for my Cancun enchiladas. I couldn't find lobster base at my store, so I did make my own roux (the flour and butter), added milk and wine, and then added a can of condensed cream of shrimp soup (Campbells's). I also happened to have a packet of Chi Chi's fiesta taco seasoning and added a generous sprinkling of that to the sauce. We added some sour cream to the top after they were cooked, and they really were excellent. Another reviewer mentioned his sauce tasted like gravy - he may have needed to cook the flour further in the butter so it didn't taste "raw". But I have to admit that when tasting the sauce outside of the enchilada, it didn't seem that great, but with the crabmeat, shrimp and cheese, etc. it really was great and just like I remember! Thanks for the great recipe!!

From: Bebelicious!

On Sep 24, 2007

You can get the lobster base at Amazon.com if you can't find it locally. DON'T LEAVE IT OUT. It makes all the difference in the flavor. Substituting cream of anything soup just won't cut it. This was just as delicious and as authentic as Chi Chi's and suprisingly inexpensive to make.