Recipe Rating ***
This is a recipe I recently tried for the first time. Since then, I have made it for multiple dinners, each time perfecting it a bit more! I went looking for an enchilada recipe after a friend of mine suggested the dish as an easy, prepare ahead of time, meal. I understand that most people would not throw enchiladas in the “casserole” category. I have thrown them into this category because they seem to be one of the many recipes that claim to offer a full meal in one, glass, Pyrex dish. I have never been partial to casseroles (with exception to lasagna, baked ziti, and anything else Italian). But, after the birth of my first child (now only 5 months old), I have reluctantly entered the world of “quick and easy meals”, placing me ever closer to casserole creation than I would like. To my excitement and surprise, however, I have found that not all quick and easy meals force me to neglect my taste buds in the name of simplicity (and necessity when there is a screaming baby in the house)!
So, here I am…making a full meal (that is not Italian) in one, glass, Pyrex dish.
I found this enchilada recipe in The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (my cooking Bible). I looked in this recipe book first because I have found that most of the recipes are great (I mean, it is a test kitchen, right?). But, after cooking the meal a few times, I have decided to make some adaptations. Instead of corn tortillas I opted for flour. This I believe is a personal preference and may not have any bearing on the actual finished product. Another decision I made was to omit cilantro from my enchilada dish. This is not a recommendation I would make to others, but rather a necessity as my husband loathes the taste of cilantro (strange, isn’t it?). Typically, when I come across an ingredient I know my husband despises (you will soon learn that there are many) I simply use less of it. But, cilantro is potent and distinct; there is no masking this herb! So, when it comes to Mexican cooking, I always omit the cilantro for the sake of marital harmony (so sad!). It is possible that cilantro would add an extra boost to this recipe, putting it up to four stars. But I guess that will remain a mystery to me as I don’t intend to eat an entire enchilada meal by myself for the sake of ½ a cup of cilantro!
Finally, I have a little problem with “shredded chicken”. Have you ever made it? I find that it is a little too time consuming to have made the ingredients list of an “easy” meal. So, I decided to transform this meal into a 2 for 1 deal! The day before making my enchiladas, I planned (and executed) a roasted chicken dinner. Using the leftovers from Perdue’s “Ready Roaster” chicken (I recognize that this is a cooking copout) from the night before saved me a lot of time when making the enchilada’s. Another time saver was my decision to dice the chicken rather than shred it. Often, shredded chicken is used to achieve a type of needed consistency in a dish. But, I found that dicing the chicken in this case achieved the same result as did shredding since it is mixed with cheese and sauce and bundled close in a tortilla shell. The decision is yours. But I think you may find that while shredded chicken is on the ingredients list for most enchilada recipes, it is unnecessary and unnoticeable when compared to diced chicken. If you are still partial to shredded chicken, here is a great video I found on Youtube explaining the method. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8Ji318h2NEOverall I think this is a great recipe and it has earned a permanent place on my dinner menus.
Everyday Cooking Takeaways:
- Although I can be flexible about when I make this dish, I prefer to continue with the 2 for 1 deal (roasted chicken one night, enchiladas the next).
- Save time by dicing the chicken, rather than shredding it.
- Tortilla type is a personal preference, go for what moves you!
- Just because I continue to grieve the loss of cilantro in my everyday cooking doesn’t mean you have to.
Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Enchilada Sauce:
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion (minced)
½ tsp salt
3 tbs chili powder
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sugar
15 ounce can tomato sauce
½ cup water
Method:
Heat oil (medium heat) in a large skillet and saute onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add salt, chili powder garlic, cumin and sugar. Cook until aromatic (meaning the pan ingredients are stating to smell good!), about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and let cook for 5 minutes (until sauce has thickened). Remove from heat and set aside.
Enchilada:
3 cups shredded (or diced) chicken
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 recipe of enchilada sauce (see recipe below)
2 (4 ounce) cans of chopped green chiles (drained lightly)
½ cup minced fresh cilantro (if you so choose)
Salt and pepper
10-12 (6 inch) corn (or flour) tortillas
Method:
2. Combine chicken, 2 cups of cheddar, 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce, green chiles, and cilantro (if using)
3. Place tortillas on a microwave safe plate and heat for 45 seconds
4. Lay tortillas out on counter and evenly distribute chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla (you should not have nay chicken mixture left over)
5. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray
6. Roll each tortilla and stack them into the pan so they are touching (you will have about six rolls on the bottom and six rolls on the top)
7. With a spoon, run a line of enchilada sauce and cheddar down the top of each roll (do not forget to do this step for the bottom rolls before placing rolls on top)
8. Cover the pan with foil and bake in oven for 20 minutes
9. Remove foil from the pan and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until the cheddar browns
10. Remove from oven and enjoy!
Serve enchiladas with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and any left over enchilada sauce from the pan!
Do you know an amazing enchilada recipe? Let me know! I would love to do a comparison!
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