The Creamiest Seafood Enchilada Sauce Comes From A Can

When it comes to enchiladas, it may be most common to see them topped with red or green sauce — or both, in the case of seafood enchiladas divorciadas. However, the classic dish can also be served with a creamy sauce. There's a simple hack to craft the perfect topping to pair with shrimp, crab, or lobster enchiladas: Use canned cream of shrimp soup.

All you need to do to quickly whip it up is combine the condensed soup with cream cheese and heat the mixture until it's warm and smooth. Then, you can kick it up a notch with your favorite add-ins. Try jalapeños, hot sauce, cayenne, or crushed red pepper for a spicy kick, or add savory flavor with aromatics like garlic or onion. Smoked paprika or canned chipotles in adobo sauce can give it a little smoky flavor, or you can add some bright color and a bit of texture with diced red or green peppers.

In addition to crafting your own unique flavor profile, you can also adjust the cheesiness. For a thicker, ooey-gooey version, sprinkle in some Monterey Jack or cheddar (save a variety like queso fresco for garnish, since it doesn't melt as well into sauces). Just be sure to avoid common cheese sauce mistakes, like stirring in your whole pile of shredded cheese at the same time or leaving the sauce on the heat, both of which can cause it to curdle.

While seafood enchiladas with this creamy sauce can be a fairly easy dish to make, there are a few things you can do to make sure yours turn out perfectly. First, you can modify the sauce. In addition to (or instead of) cheese, you can always use a simple cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. If you prefer it to be a little on the thinner side, you can easily do that, too. Once the cream cheese is melted and fully combined with the canned soup, pour in a little heavy cream or add a dollop or two of sour cream. Add either gradually to achieve exactly the consistency you're looking for. Then, before you assemble the enchiladas, be sure not to skip one crucial step: frying the tortillas. Doing this will make sure that they can hold up to the sauce without falling apart or getting soggy.

Finally, if you have leftover sauce — or even just the soup — you can repurpose it to infuse creaminess and shrimpy flavor into other dishes. Try pouring it over pasta for a quick Alfredo-style sauce, or spoon it onto fish, veggies, or baked potatoes. You can also use it as a base for simple dishes like mac and cheese, seafood pot pie, creamy enchilada soup, or an old-school shrimp wiggle. It can also be served as a hot dip for bread and veggies, as is or thickened.

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