Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce
Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

As promised, the enchiladas that go with the Roasted Tomatillo sauce I posted about yesterday. Did you do your homework? Have you already made the tomatillo sauce, at least have tomatillos in the house or know where you could easily get your hands on some? If so, you can whip these up for dinner tonight in no time at all for your adoring fans. And adore you they will--that's a promise. Because these chicken enchiladas doused in oh so yummy tomatillo sauce and topped with gobs of melted cheese, are a true crowd pleaser...and a busy cook pleaser too--you won't believe how easy they are to make!!

I love it when dishes that I thought were too fussy to pull off at home actually turn out to be downright simple. To me, homemade enchiladas have always been miles away from my comfort zone (I come from a long line of brisket and breaded chicken cutlet eaters) and so I've always thought of them as "restaurant food". But no more. I hearby proclaim us enchilada people too!!

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Seriously these take just a few minutes to put together, particularly if you've already made the tomatillo sauce (although even that doesn't take long) and are using either rotisserie or already cooked chicken. There's little more to do than roll up the chicken in the tortilla, line 'em up in the dish and cover the tortillas with the sauce and cheese and bake.

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And lest you think these are too heavy for the warmer weather we're finally getting, think again, because they are surprisingly light and won't leave you with that heavy "I just ate Mexican food" feeling. What you will feel is supreme happiness and a little zing in your step--it's the tomatillo sauce--it just does something to 'ya!!

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Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

Makes at least 6 servings
Prep Time:  20 minutes, plus time to make sauce; Bake Time:  15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 batch Roasted Tomatillo Sauce (if you made this ahead of time, give it good stir when you take it out of the fridge)
  • About 1 pound cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (you can use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken or roast a couple of bone-in chicken breasts, discard bone and skin and shred chicken)
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • Vegetable or olive oil
  • 6 ounces shredded cheese (I used a combo of Monterey Jack and cheddar)

The Recipe

1.  Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Spoon a little bit of the tomatillo sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

2.  Place the shredded chicken in a bowl and stir a few tablespoons of the sauce into it. Set aside.

3.  Brush each side of the tortillas with a bit of oil and lay them down on the counter. Place a mound of the moistened chicken filling onto each tortilla and roll them up. Place seam side down into the baking dish, wedging them closely together. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas and then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

4.  Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is all gooey and melted and the chicken and sauce are hot. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from More Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless--I tinkered here. The original recipe has you heat the tortillas in a plastic bag in the microwave--I don't like to do that, not sure that's so good for you, so I didn't heat tortillas at all but cooked the whole thing a bit longer and added the shredded cheese on top--they came out delicious!

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