Sunday, February 24, 2013

Green garlic chicken enchiladas

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Of all Mexican food, I think I love enchiladas most of all.

I can't promise these are the most authentic chicken enchiladas you'll ever make, but they do have a few things going for them:

  • Quick and easy homemade enchilada sauce
  • Leftover roast chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken
  • The mild flavor of green garlic if it's in season
  • Cheesy deliciousness! (Well, okay, that's true of most enchiladas)

I make my enchiladas with flour tortillas, but if you prefer corn tortillas, by all means use them.

Note: The canned chiles in adobo sauce give the sauce a smoky backstory, but they also add a little heat. No one in my family objected, but if your kids are really resistant to spicy food, use some mild chili powder instead of the canned chiles.



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Green garlic chicken enchiladas
Store-bought rotisserie chicken and an easy homemade enchilada sauce make these chicken enchiladas quick to put together. If green garlic isn't in season, use fresh garlic cloves and green onions instead.
Ingredients
  • 3 15-ounce cans diced and peeled tomatoes in juice
  • 2 canned chiles in adobo sauce
  • 1/2 large onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)
  • 1 fresh lime, peeled (cut away skin and use entire remaining fruit)
  • 4 cups meat from leftover roast chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken, coarsely shredded by hand
  • 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (or any combination of Monterey jack, cheddar, asadero cheese or queso quesadilla)
  • 4 large stems green garlic, white and green parts, finely chopped (or substitute 2 cloves fresh garlic plus 4 green onions)
  • 10 medium-sized (8-inch) flour tortillas
Instructions
Make the enchilada sauce: Put the tomatoes with juice, chiles, onion, cilantro, and lime into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.In a large bowl, combine the chicken, 2 cups cheese, 1 cup enchilada sauce, and chopped green garlic. Mix well to combine.Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then pour in about a cup of the enchilada sauce, spreading it to cover the bottom of the pan.Working on a flat surface or large cutting board, lay out one tortilla. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture in a line down the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla over the filling, then place the filled tortilla seam side down at one end of the baking pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cozying the enchiladas up against each other. When you've made all the enchiladas, pour another cup or two of the sauce on top and spread it around with the back of a spoon so that all the tortilla surfaces are coated with the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake about 45 minutes. Uncover the enchiladas, then bake 5 minutes more. Serve hot.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 10 enchiladas

3 comments:

Faye said...

These look and sound yummy and easy. I appreciate that you give so many variations of the ingredients, and I'm wondering whether you think these would work:
- Substitute a vegetable such as lightly cooked sliced mushrooms for half the chicken (I know it's more work but I'm always trying to push vegetables into everything):) (For my taste I would suggest eggplant too but every time we discuss eggplant with Mexicans when we shop at Vallarta they said they don't use or don't like them)
- In the filling, use about 1 cup queso fresco in small dice instead of the other cheeses?

Erika Kerekes said...

@Faye you could certainly put some vegetables in - chopped cooked (or frozen) spinach, or shredded zucchini with some of the moisture squeezed out, or mushrooms as you suggest. As to the cheese, I think it's completely up to you. I don't use queso fresco much but I'm sure it would be delicious.

Sippity Sup said...

I agree, of Mexican food, I think I love enchiladas most of all too. But It is because of the simplicity of flavors (for me). Though I guess authentic is part of it too. GREG

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