Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

If I had to pick one thing from the Mexican food world that I could and would eat for the rest of my life, it would be enchiladas.  I have a standing order at any Mexican restaurant I go to for enchiladas-two chicken, one cheese please.  Normally, my enchiladas are covered in red sauce (my favorite) but I decided to branch out and try something new with these enchiladas verdes.  But they’re still enchies (my family’s slang word for enchiladas-we’re so serious we have slang for them) so I didn’t go too far out of my comfort zone.

These enchiladas are so flavorful that I’m not sure how I will ever go back to my usual ranchero sauce-covered ones.  The tomatillos give this sauce so much bright, almost-citrusy flavor and the rest of the vegetables have supporting roles that bring so much to the party.  Roasted poblanos and chiles give us a little heat, cilantro freshens the sauce up with an herby hit and onions and garlic need no introduction.  A little sour cream provides some tang to the sauce.  Once everything is puréed in the food processor, we have a mint-green sauce situation on our hands to admire and thusly drown our enchiladas in.  A quick plop of chicken and cheese in a tortilla, roll up and repeat.  Drench in sauce and cover in cheese.  Bake, garnish with more cheese, sour cream,  red onion and cilantro (or not, it’s your call) and dig in.

I’m a big fan of roasting my own chicken for any recipe that calls for chicken, but you could definitely use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save yourself some time!

I sat on this recipe for awhile; don’t ask me why because I wouldn’t know what to tell you.  Maybe because it’s so good and I wanted a little more private time with it before I shared, or maybe because I really don’t like the pictures but wanted to get the recipe out regardless of my personal feelings?  Probably a little of both.

I made this twice and didn’t like the pictures both times-there’s something hard about photographing a big, bubbling casserole with no shape or form.  You can’t really see what’s going on inside and it always looks messy but is generally incredibly delicious-but hey, that’s really just a metaphor for life.  Casseroles are basically the food spirit animal of life, right?

Today is my daily reminder that done is better than perfect and to be kind to myself because I’m trying every day to improve.  Okay, I’m done waxing poetic…now go make these!

Side note: Next week, I’m going to be introducing some new content to my site, from travel to favorite products (will be affiliate links) to kitchen/cooking resources to weekly favorites…stay tuned!  And if you like what you see and want to hear more from me, you can subscribe to my e-mail list to be notified whenever a new post is out so you never miss a thing!

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

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• Author: Amanda
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings

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Description

Chicken and cheese enchiladas covered in a bright, green roasted tomatillo sauce!

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Ingredients

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ROASTED TOMATILLO SAUCE:

• 2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, left in skin
• 1 jalapeno
• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

ROASTED CHICKEN:

• 2-1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (approximately 3 large breasts)
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO ASSEMBLE:

• Six to eight 8-inch corn or flour tortillas
• 12 ounces shredded cheese (preferably a combination of Monterey Jack and pepper jack)

TO SERVE:

• 1/2 cup Mexican crema
• 1/4 cup Cotija cheee, crumbled
• Finely chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

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Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler on high.  Broil the poblanos, rotating occasionally, until the skin is blackened and blistered, about 12 to 15 minutes in total.  Remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  When cool enough to handle, remove the stem and seeds and scrape the skin from the flesh.  Coarsely chop the peppers.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°.  Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.  Place the chicken breasts on one pan; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeno on the second sheet pan; drizzle with vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.  Allow the chicken to cool while you prepare the sauce; when cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces with a fork or your fingers.
3. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the roasted vegetables and cilantro leaves.  Process until relatively smooth.  Add the chicken stock and sour cream and process to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°.  Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Combine the chicken, 1/2 of the cheese and about 1 to 2 cups of the sauce, until the mixture is forms a spreadable filling but is not runny.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Dip each tortilla in the extra sauce, allowing the excess to drip off.  You want to just moisten the tortillas so they stay soft in the oven.  Spread approximately 1/3 cup of filling down the center of each tortilla and roll tightly. Place in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. When the enchiladas are filled, pour 1-1/2 to 2 cups of the remaining sauce down the center and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.  When ready to serve, drizzle some of the crema on top and sprinkle on the red onions, cilantro and Cotija.

• Category: Latin-American, Chicken