Chicken Enchiladas

There are quite a few Mexican posts on this blog.  In fact, this is my third enchilada post (actually, fourth if you count this deconstructed enchilada dish)! While we love the other enchilada recipes, this one is such a classic recipe of chicken enchiladas in red sauce that I had to include it.  Several months ago, I bought red enchilada sauce but it was so spicy and odd tasting that I ended up throwing it out (even though I hate wasting food). The homemade sauce in this recipe is nothing like that that -- it's delicious and easy to tailor the amount of heat to your liking.  The chicken is cooked in the sauce and then shredded which makes it moist and flavorful (I also threw in frozen chicken since I forgot to thaw it beforehand and it worked perfectly!). 

All together, there are a few steps to making this so it isn't a quick weeknight meal (although I suspect that you could split up the tasks).  However, it's worth it if you have a little time on your hands!  We served this with some slow cooker black beans and a salad.

Chicken Enchiladas
Taken from: Annie's Eats
Serves 4-6

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine (I only used one and it was mild)
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce (I used a 15 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes instead of the tomato sauce and chopped tomato)
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped (I omitted)
• 1 cup water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided (I used part-skim mozzarella instead)
• ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas (I used homemade flour tortillas instead)
• Cooking spray

1. Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.  Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Nestle the chicken into the sauce.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer), about 12-20 minutes (I stuck my chicken in frozen so it took a few more minutes to cook all the way through).  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
3. Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible.  Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside.  Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.
4. Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.  Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro.  Stir to combine.
5. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.  Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla.  Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down.  Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.
6. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray.  Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F.  Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned.  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.