Sopa?

Growing up, my grandma made what we always called "Sopa". It was noodles (usually penne), homemade chili sauce (smooth, not with chili seeds), and cheese chunks. Simple and delicious. I can guarantee you there were NEVER leftovers. 

Meanwhile, grandma's long gone and I can't find anything similar to her recipe because everywhere I look, sopa is soup. Anyway, I took my dad's advice and tried the same idea but used enchilada sauce since we couldn't figure out the chili sauce recipe. 

My latest attempt was my best yet. It was amazing when it was fresh, not so much when it was leftovers the next day. So make sure you eat it up when you make it! 

Here's what you need: 

Noodles (I used egg noodles this time)

1 can enchilada sauce (this time around it was verde)

Cheese (choose your favorite, and quantity is your discretion)

Onion, chopped

Santa Fe seasoning

While your noodles are cooking, sautee onion in a big non-stick pan. I have a 6 qt I use and it's perfect. Once onions are done (just barely still crunchy), add sauce. Allow sauce to get hot. By now your noodles should be/could be done. Drain, add to sauce. Sprinkle with Santa Fe seasoning (or just add pepper, dash of garlic, & salt). Once noodles are fully mixed in sauce, cook just long enough for everything to be HOT! Turn off burner, add cheese and fold in. Serve immediately. 

The fun in this recipe, is that the options are endless - you can use red or green sauce, homemade or canned. Either way it's delicious. If you like really spicy, go with a medium or hot enchilada sauce. You can use any noodles you like, and you can choose your cheese. I tend to prefer Mozzarella or Sharp Cheddar for this meal, but I still have my whole life ahead of me to try different cheeses.