Date: 08-29-2009
Green Chili Chicken Enchilada's
From Aunt Alice
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (2 boneless breasts)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
� cup or more chopped onion
1 large can Las Palmas Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (see next page and recipe from Cooks Magazine)
� cup sour cream
1 can (4.5 oz) diced green chilis
1 can (4.5 oz) sliced olives (optional)
8-10 flour tortilla's
1. combine shredded chicken, 2 cups cheese, diced chilis and onions in a bowl
2. spread one tablespoon enchilada sauce over tortilla
3. sprinkle chicken mixture down center of tortilla
4. top chicken mixture with one tablespoon sour cream
5. sprinkle with olives (optional)
6. spoon sauce over olives and roll
7. continue process until enchiladas are rolled
8. place enchiladas in a 12x8 Pyrex or aluminum baking pan
9. spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top
10. bake at 350� for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles
Enchilada Sauce
Can canned enchilada sauces stack up against homemade?
This article appeared in the February/March 2006 issue of Cook's Country,
sister magazine to Cook's Illustrated.
Corn Tortillas
Written: 3/2005
Thick or thin? The answer proved to be the key distinction.
We tasted six brands of corn tortillas and found that thicker tortillas did not
brown as well in the oven and became more chewy than crisp. Thin tortillas,
either white or yellow, quickly became feather-light and crisp when oven-fried.
Flavor differences between brands were slight, but locally made tortillas did
pack a bit more corn flavor than national brands. Our advice? Purchase the
thinnest tortillas you can find and choose a locally made brand, if possible.
Supermarket Flour Tortillas
Written: 9/2005
It's no surprise that the best flour tortillas are freshly made to order. But those
of us without a local tortilleria must make do with the packaged offerings at the
local supermarket. To find out which ones taste best, we rounded up every 6-inch
flour tortilla we could find (usually labeled "fajita size") and headed into the test
kitchen to taste them.
Tasters immediately zeroed in on texture, which varied dramatically from "doughy and stale"
to "thin and flaky." The thinner brands were the hands-down winners. Most brands had a
mild, pleasantly wheaty flavor, but two of the doughier brands, Ol� and La Banderita (both
made by the same company), were panned for off, sour notes. Our advice is simple: Get
the thinnest tortillas you can find at your local market.
Curious as to how canned enchilada sauces would stack up against our homemade version,
we tried six supermarket brands: Old El Paso, La Victoria, Hatch, La Preferida, Comida
Mexicana, and Las Palmas. None could compete with our recipe. Tasters compared one
sauce to "canned tomato soup" and another to "spicy Chef Boyardee." Some comments
were even more scathing, likening the supermarket sauces to "burnt coffee grounds"
and "salty and bitter tomato paste." If you're taking the time to make our enchiladas,
why spoil their flavor with a sub par sauce? Ours can be ready in less than 15 minutes.
Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
5/2003
If you prefer, Monterey Jack cheese can be used instead of cheddar, or, for a mellower flavor and creamier texture, try substituting an equal amount of farmers' cheese.
10 enchiladas, serving 4 or 5 as a main dish
Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
3/4 pound small tomatillos , husks and stems removed, each tomatillo quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large jalape�o chiles , seeded and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Filling
2 teaspoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1 medium onion , chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , grated (2 cups)
Tortillas and Toppings
10 corn tortillas (six-inch)
Vegetable cooking spray
3 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 avocado , diced medium
5 leaves romaine lettuce , washed, dried, and shredded
2 limes , quartered
1. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatillos, jalape�os, sugar and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/3 cup of water and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until tomatillos are softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to blender and puree until smooth, about 30 seconds; set aside. Rinse out saucepan.
2. FOR THE FILLING: Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and brown, about 3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until browned, about 3 minutes longer. Add cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken mixture to large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine with cilantro and cheese in medium bowl and set aside.
3. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees.
4. TO ASSEMBLE: Follow illustrations to heat tortillas and fill, roll, and sauce enchiladas. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, passing sour cream, avocado, lettuce, and lime wedges separately.
STEP BY STEP: Assembling Enchiladas
1. Smear entire bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 3/4 cup chili sauce.
2. Place tortillas on two baking sheets. Spray both sides lightly with cooking spray.
Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, about 4 minutes.
3. Place warm tortillas on counter-top. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Place 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla.
4. Roll each tortilla tightly by hand and place in baking dish, side by side, seam-side down.
5.Pour remaining chili sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce
so it coats top of each tortilla.
6. Sprinkle 1/4 cup grated cheese down center of enchiladas.
Shopping List For:
Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
Pantry/Dry Goods
ground cumin, 1 tablespoon
vegetable oil, 4 teaspoons
table salt, 1/2 teaspoon
granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon
corn tortillas, 10
Vegetable cooking spray
Produce
avocado, 1
chopped fresh cilantro leaves , 1/2 cup
garlic, 3 medium cloves
romaine lettuce, 5 leaves
limes, 2
medium onions, 2
large jalape�o chiles, 3
small tomatillo, 3/4 pound
Dairy
sharp cheddar cheese, 8 ounces
grated sharp cheddar cheese, 3 ounces
sour cream, 3/4 cup
Meat
boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 12 ounces