I found this: The word salsa is the Spanish word for sauce. The primary difference among salsa, picante sauce, and pico de gallo is texture. Picante is similar to a pur�ed sauce and is rather smooth. Salsa is semi-chunky in texture. Pico de gallo has uniformly chopped tomatoes and traditionally contains a greater percentage of peppers than salsa or picante sauce.

I don't think it will make much of a difference. Most salsas aren't as smooth as picante sauce but they are pretty close otherwise. I admit that I do like the picante sauce a bit better but it does tend to be more expensive (at least in my area since Pace is about the only picante sauce I can get while I have many salsa options).

What Glenda said. Also, pico de gallo is usually uncooked, while the others are sometimes cooked and sometimes not.

In any case, if you need another opinion, I agree - make the recipe with salsa. It will be fine.

The sauce on enchiladas is usually smooth - but if that's important to you, you can always whirl the salsa up in a blender or food processor.

It'll work just fine. The difference, if any, is more technical than real anyway.

And we want the recipe,you know!

I think it is a Campbell Soup recipe.......here it is:

EASY CHICKEN & CHEESE ENCHILADAS

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Pace Picante sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
6 flour tortillas (6") warmed
1 small tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce & chili powder in a medium bowl.
Stir 1 cup of the picante mixture, chicken & cheese in a large bowl.
Divide chicken mixture among tortillas and place seamside up in a baking dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over filled tortillas.
Cover baking dish.
Bake 350* for 40 mn. or until encheladas are hot and bubbling.
Top with chopped tomatoes and green onions.

I think it will be OK to use salsa in place of picante sauce. I plan on doubling the recipe so I'll use one of medium and one of mild strength. Thanks, Kiddos, for the info about picante vs salsa.

Picante means hot or spicey. Salsa means sauce. Picante sauce is a type of salsa. In Spanish it would be revered to as Salsa Picante.

The commercial varieties of Picante Sauce are smoother and thicker than "salsa" with larger chunks at times.

Enchilada Sauce is an entirely different product even though salsa means sauce. It is a chili based sauce and only rarely has tomato in it.

But since this recipe calls for an American product you could use either salsa or picante sauce. It's all getting blended in with the chicken soup,sour cream and cheese anyway. More of an enchilada casserole I guess.

I feel so lucky to live where I do. I am surrounded by Mexican food of every region. When I want enchildas I go to my favorite little hole in the wall for them and have "Hector" make me some.

Wildchild, how I envy you. I really like Mexican food, but here, in Minnesota, I'm sure what is considered "Mexican food" is a whole other enchilada than what you get in your area. LOL Also I am finding as I get older, I can't take the spicy, hot foods like I used to.

Yes I don't imagine you have many really good Mexican restaurants in Minnesota but I bet you have really good lutfisk. LOL

Seriously you probably have some great German and Ukrainian food that we don't have.

But then I live where English is quickly becoming the second language or third language. Downsides to everywhere.

Sorry to burst your bubble Wildchild but as a lifelong Minnesotan, "really good lutfisk"... ain't no such thing. Lefse and meatballs on the other hand, haven't seen them as good elsewhere, even though they're not that difficult to make. It takes a Scandinavian grandmother to teach the love, perhaps.

Although it's an inside joke and really shouldn't be shared with outsiders, I'll trust you if you'll keep it a secret. Lut
fisk (aka lutefisk) is one of the biggest practical jokes ever pulled on people! Lutefisk (which loosely translated means fish, cured in an outhouse) is something we cook up and convince people from out of state they *must* try under the same joke that if you tell people that snot on a cracker is a delicacy, they'll eat it. California tried it unsuccessfully with the "veggie burger".

You have to understand when you live in Nirvana, you have to try to keep some of the riff-raff out. Lye-soaked dehydrated cod has sufficiently scared people off for a long time but we have to come up with something new. Why do you think we resorted to electing a wrestler for Governor? Desperate times require desperate methods and it does scare people off! You don't really think it gets to be 30 below in the winter do you? So this being the fishing opener weekend (ironic, isn't it?) let me send the message that there's snow, frost, mosquitoes, dandelions and lutefisk for all! Pass the meatballs please, and plenty of gravy thank you.

You might be interested in knowing that Texas stole an old Minnesota saying to adapt to themselves. They converted it to "all hat - no cattle". The original saying is "you're all lutefisk, no lefse!" used when you really want to slam someone. :) BTW, it is covered by the exception rules to Minnesota Nice under the Common Sense Amendment or "You had it coming rule". It applies when someone with a perverted sense of humor integrates garden products with jiggly desserts, yet another culinary practical joke from the devious minds of demonic church ladies.

Welcome to Minnesota. Thanks for stopping by, now go home.

How about running the salsa through the blender if the only difference is texture?

As an almost life long Minnesotan, I've never tasted lutefisk. Now Lefse is another whole enchelada. Mmmmmmm, have it warm with butter, sugar and cinnamon.
Friend Cynic, are you sure your not a closet, jello with fruit and/or vegies in it, fancier??? Just askin.

Lefse sounds wonderful Dotmom.

Cynic the comment was made tongue in cheek.

I made that enchilada casserole dish a couple months ago. It was pretty good.

Uh, yeah Wildchild, I know, and so was, aw, never mind...

I shopped today and bought the salsa that was on sale, 2/4.00. Turns out I had bought this kind before for a dip and it is real good and I think will add a lot to the chicken enchiladas. It is black bean and corn salsa. Real chunky, which I think will be good in the dish. I bought one mild and one medium. I think I'll also add some sliced black olives.
I like that I can prepare the dish the day before, then bake it when comapany is here.

picante is spicer.salsa is thicker.

btw they do have enchilada sauce in a can...smooth not chunky...and in traditional enchiladas, the tortillas are dipped in it then rolled with the goodies...but Mexican food is great any way prepared...

Susan, that's the way I made my beef enchiladas one time. It was messy, but they sure tasted good.

I have posted a recipe here for the salsa Verde chicken enchiladas that is very good and super easy to make. The salsa Verde which is the green sauce is wonderful in that dish. I am sure it would pop up with a search here.

I would not hesitate to sub one sauce with the other.

It's here on this thread if anyone is interested.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2716608/do-you-have-a-recipe-to-share?n=27

I think the same thing, Sleeperblues.

I kind of like that it popped up near Pooh Bear's thread. I'd like to think they're together and smiling down on us from Heaven. :)