For Foodies: Friday’s Flavors ~ Chicken Enchiladas

Hey, Foodies! Happy Friday!

In all honesty, this is a recipe that takes a bit of time and effort. Are there short cuts? Definitely. You don’t have to make the sauce from scratch. You can buy pre-shredded cheese. You could even buy those bags of prepared chicken. Will it be as good? Probably not, but we’re all busy, so if you want to hack it, hack it! (It’ll still be cheesy, yummy, Mexican food goodness!)

Usually, when I make this I make it in bulk (this recipe is for 16 enchiladas, which can easily be stretched with additions). I freeze these in batches of 4, which in my house is a dinner and a lunch, plus, these enchiladas are amazingly tasty, so it’s totally worth it.

Ingredients for the Enchiladas:

2 pounds chicken breast

1 red onion

1 sweet onion

lime juice or natural margarita mix

chili powder

garlic powder

onion powder

cumin

extra sharp cheddar cheese

quesadilla cheese

Mexican cheese mix

16+ tortilla wraps

Ingredients for the Sauce:

(Here’s the thing about the sauce – everyone’s taste is different. While I like a robustly flavored sauce, you might prefer yours blander. Or spicy. Or you might want to buy a prepared sauce, or hack it by using a packet of taco seasoning instead of individual spices. If you make the sauce from scratch, start light and taste as you go to get the flavor that’s right for you.)

1 large sweet onion

1 large can tomato sauce (~ 29 oz)

1 can tomato paste (~ 6 oz)

1-2 tablespoons chili powder

1-3 teaspoons garlic powder

1-3 teaspoons cumin

1-3 teaspoons onion powder

1-3 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 – 1 1/2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

olive oil

1-2 oz beer

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a couple of baking sheets with oil so the chicken doesn’t stick. Beat the chicken thin with a meat mallet. Place on baking sheet, cover first side in either lime juice or all natural lime based margarita mix, then sprinkle with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. Flip and season the other side. Bake at 350 for 15- 20 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce.

Sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir. Add chili powder (this is the spice I add the most of), garlic powder, cumin, onion powder and dried oregano. Mix well and bring so a simmer. Taste as you go.

Add chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add beer (just an ounce or two) and allow sauce to cook to thicken. After beer is absorbed, taste the sauce to make any final adjustments to the flavor, then set aside.

Remove chicken from oven when done. Chop the red and sweet onion and grate the cheese while chicken cools a bit. When ready, pull the chicken apart. It should be tender enough to do this without using a knife (but make it easier on yourself and use one).

(Note: You can add rice, black beans, vegetables, etc. to your enchilada filling if you want to – the possibilities are endless!)

If you’re using a glass pan, spray with oil for easy cleanup. As I said above, I freeze several portions of this, so this time I also bought a couple of cheap foil pans so I wouldn’t lose all my good glass Tupperware to the freezer.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your pan(s). Lay out your tortillas. I make two stacks and assemble two enchiladas at a time. Put chicken, red onion, cheddar and quesadilla cheese (plus anything else you want to add) on each wrap and roll. Place in pan. Continue until all your wraps are used.

Put sauce on top of rolled enchiladas, paying special attention to edges. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese mix, then top with sweet onion.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is starting to bubble. To make from freezer – place in refrigerator the night before to defrost. Cover with tinfoil and cook at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove tinfoil and cook another 10-20 minutes.

I like to spend the cooking time making my favorite homemade guacamole (find the recipe here). Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onions, and red onions. Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole and chips.

Enjoy!

If you make it, please tell me how you liked it!

Check back next Friday for another recipe!