CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

[charisstoma]

BEST CHICKEN ENCHILADAS EVER!

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/best-chicken-enchiladas-ever/
No kidding. These seriously are the best enchiladas ever, and it's all due to a special (and easy) homemade enchilada sauce that will rock your socks off.

PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 45 MINS TOTAL: 1 HOUR YIELD: 4-6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into small 1/2-inch pieces (*or see substitution below for using pre-cooked shredded chicken)
salt and pepper
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans or lentils, rinsed and drained
8 large flour tortillas
3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese
1 batch red enchilada sauce, or 1 can store-bought enchilada sauce
(optional: 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your enchilada sauce, if making homemade.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced chicken and green chiles, and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, beans, chicken mixture, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add beans in a line down the middle of the tortilla, then add in a spoonful of the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Then spread the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

*If you are using pre-cooked chicken, just leave it out of the saute and cook the onion and green chiles for 1 additional minute (instead of 6-8). Once you remove the onion and green chiles from the heat, stir in the chicken (which should be shredded or chopped into bite-sized pieces).
DIFFICULTY: EASY INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN, CHICKEN BROTH, CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, FLOUR, GARLIC POWDER, GREEN CHILES, LENTILS, OIL, ONION, OREGANO

Comments

[meridae.livejournal.com]

You either gotta stop posting recipes with ingredients I can't get, or you gotta come over and cook for me!!

[frogs_of_war]

What can't you get? Tortillas? The green chilies can be done without. I use Thai Spice Paste (it's really flakes) to spice up mine. The Enchilada sauce?

[meridae.livejournal.com]

I've never seen canned green chillies, although I imagine is similar to the jars of chilli paste we get (or maybe the pickled chillies?). We don't specifically have 'enchilada' sauce, but it's probably the same as the 'mexican sauces' and salsas that are sold. I don't have any idea what 'mexican cheese' is or how it's different from a good old cheddar. We don't get Monteray Jack either. (although something can be found if you go exploring the international sections - like pumpkin pie filling, and that marshmallow fluff stuff).

[meridae.livejournal.com]

Really I just want someone to cook for me.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*pets you*
And now you've done it. Pumpkin Pie spice recipes coming up.

Ortega Chiles

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

http://www.ortega.com/faq/
Q.: What type of chiles does Ortega use?
A.: Ortega uses the green chile commonly known as Anaheim Chiles that originated in New Mexico and [were] introduced to southern California in 1894 by Emilio C. Ortega.

Re canning them at home: packing them in vinegar would make home-canning safer, but for those who prefer their chilies without the vinegar taste, here's a link to directions from the New Mexico State University extension for canning green chilies. The directions call for "loosely" packing them prior to pressure-canning. http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/E-308.pdf

For some strange reason, I'm getting a craving for salsa. ;) http://www.peakprosperity.com/discussion/81067/canned-diced-roasted-green-chilis-replacement

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Mexican cheese is usually a combination of Cheddar (commonly orange cheese) Monterey Jack is a white cheese and mild. I've used Mild Cheddar to make enchiladas and other Mexican dishes.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*smiles* I've tried making tortillas. They stick and the smoke detector is irritating. Don't know what I'm doing wrong and watching the videos make it look so easy.
Meep grows chili peppers but I bet that any peppers that have 'heat' to them would work. It might taste slightly different though but you won't know that since you've never had chili peppers, if that's the item missing.
You can try Frogs' suggestions too.

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

mmmm enchiladas yummy

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Yep. Even if it's just beans,chillies and cheese yummy.

[frogs_of_war]

I put the sauce into the dish and pour the rest on at the end, so the enchiladas are coated on the outside. It makes less of a mess on my counter. But I might consider adding sauce to the meat and cheese mixture (I mix my filling before adding it).

Adding beans would be good, but half the people willing to eat them. My kids are picky.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Yum. Hadn't thought to put the sauce in the dish before adding enchiladas too.
I like to shred my chicken after it's cooked before adding it to the tortillas. It goes further.

[frogs_of_war]

I hadn't noticed the meat was diced. Shredded all the way.