Chicken Enchiladas

         
We have a family friend who is going through what we went through a few weeks back--both kids sick with RSV. It is amazing how we are so much more compassionate with people when we have gone through their particular trial ourselves.
I wanted to bring her dinner, and I know her hubby likes Mexican food. I found a yummy chicken enchilada recipe at A Sweet Pea Chef.
I adapted the recipe slightly, and I would make more filling next time I make it, but it was probably the best home enchiladas I've made yet. 

Here are the ingredients:

Put your garlic in the enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer.

  

Let your chicken breasts cook in the simmering enchilada sauce for about 20-30 minutes.

                               

To help ensure your corn tortillas don't crack and break, quickly pan fry them in a tiny bit of oil on both sides.

Take your cooked chicken out of the enchilada sauce.  Look at that beautiful red color.

Now, using a fork, shred your chicken.

Combine the shredded chicken with half the cheese, 1/2 cup of cilantro and 3/4 cup of the cooked enchilada sauce.  The hot sauce will make the cheese nice and gooey.  Now you have the filling.

Take each tortilla and stuff with some of the filling.  Roll it closed and lay it seam side down in the pan.

Cook at 400 for about 8 minutes.

Pour 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce over the top, sprinkle on a cup of cheese and then sprinkle on some more cilantro.  Cook about 25 minutes more and enjoy!

Oh, and here is something I like to do when I bring someone a meal.  Make them cinnamon rolls!  They can enjoy them as dessert OR they can wake up and look forward to a fun breakfast treat.  A friend did this for us when we had our boys, and it was delicious and fun!

Chicken Enchiladas

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (1 1/2 cups) enchilada sauce (I use Mild)
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts--I would use 3
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided (I used a 2 cup packet of Mexican flavored cheese instead of two separate cheesepackets).
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. fre sh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided
12 6-inch corn tortillas (I used yellow corn)
cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Add the minced garlic to the enchilada sauce in a deep skillet and heat to boiling. Generously sprinkle kosher salt and ground black pepper over the chicken breasts and then nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.
Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts by holding one fork steady and slowly scraping the other fork, prongs faced backwards, away from the other fork (see picture above). Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup each of the Monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses and the 1/2 cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.
Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds until pliable and warm. Using cooking spray (if desired), oil a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture along the center of the tortilla. Gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray (or brush lightly with olive oil). This will help the tortillas turn golden in the oven and will also help keep them from cracking. Place baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden.  Instead of doing what is in italics, I read the comments on the recipe and instead quickly pan fried each tortilla in a tiny bit of oil before I stuffed them.  This helped keep my tortillas from cracking and I got to skip the microwave step.  This also gave my torillas some texture and crisp.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro. Lightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil after 20 minutes and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.
Remove form the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
Feel free to add a dollop (or two!) of sour cream and some more chopped cilantro for a garnish if you’d like.
Of course, I add sides of avocado or guacamole.  Ole!


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