E is for: Enchiladas Verdes

Try making your own green sauce for these delicious enchiladas!
It happens every week. I'll have a nice, manageable list of blog ideas, and inevitably I end up adding to it as the week goes on. Earlier this week, I was telling one of my co-workers about my blog, and when I told him it was "E" week, he asked if I was doing enchiladas. Well, no. But I happen to LOVE enchiladas. Clearly, I need to do enchiladas. 

I'll be honest with you. In the past when I've made enchiladas, I cheat and use canned sauce. (I know...gasp!) But seeing as how I cook with fresh ingredients whenever possible, there is really no excuse for not making my own sauce, and as I discovered, it's really not that hard. 

I love enchiladas verdes (green sauce)...but I'm partial to the style and flavor of using green chile peppers as opposed to tomatillos. I couldn't find New Mexico chiles up here, so I went with Anaheim chiles.



Lay peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place them under the broiler (as close as you can get them) and let them broil until most of the skin is black, rotating pan halfway through. (You can also do this over an open flame on your cooktop or grill using tongs, but sadly, I don't have gas burners). Flip them over and repeat on the other side. The entire process will take about 12-15 minutes.


While they are still hot, place them in a large plastic ziplock bag and allow them to steam for 20 minutes. This will allow you to easily remove the skin.


Gently peel off the black skin. Remove the stem, slice them open, and scoop out the seeds. Discard skin, stems and seeds. Roughly chop the peppers.


For the filling, you'll need some shredded chicken. 

If you are in a hurry, you can simply just poach the chicken in broth on the stove or buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. However, I like to slow cook mine while I'm at work with onions, garlic, broth, and homemade taco seasoning. It turns out SO good. It's also a great way to make fillings for tacos. If you want to make a large batch you could freeze half of it for future use.

(And the leftover broth was perfect for making Mexican rice!)

Mix the shredded chicken with sour cream and shredded cheese in a bowl to make the stuffing of the enchiladas go faster. I also had some leftover rainbow chard that had been sauteed with garlic and olive oil, so I thought this might be a nice healthy addition to the enchiladas, and it turned out great! If you decide to use some, you can mix this in with the chicken filling as well.

To make the green sauce, saute one chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, and half of a chopped/seeded jalapeno (omit or use less if you don't like a lot of heat), in a medium sauce pan. Add cumin and Mexican oregano and cook for another minute. 


Add the chiles and about 2 cups of chicken broth (you can add more later). Simmer for 5-10 minutes, and puree with an immersion blender or in a regular blender or food processor. Add more broth until you have the desired consistency. Season with salt. If you find it too spicy, you can cool it down by mixing in a little sour cream.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and pour a little bit of the sauce on the bottom. Dip each tortilla in the sauce, and fill with chicken mixture. Roll up and place in the pan, seam side down. Pour sauce over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.


Bake in oven until everything is hot and bubbly. Garnish with sour cream, green onions and lettuce. Serve alongside rice and beans.


Enchiladas Verdes

[printable recipe]

Enchiladas Verdes

Try making your own green sauce with chile peppers for a spicy addition to this Mexican dish.


Ingredients



10-12 long mild chile peppers (New Mexico, Anaheim or Poblano)
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 onions, chopped and divided
4 cloves garlic, chopped and divided
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
2 boneless chicken breasts
3-4 cups broth, enough to cover chicken
3-4 cups broth (for green sauce)
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
8 ounces sour cream (optional, and can substitute plain yogurt)
tortillas (corn or a corn blend are most authentic)
2 cups Monterrey jack cheese, freshly shredded
sauteed chard (optional)
green onions, lettuce, sour cream (for garnish)


Instructions



For the roasted chiles:
Lay peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place them under the broiler and let them broil until most of the skin is black. Flip them over and repeat on the other side. The entire process will take about 12-15 minutes. While they are still hot, place them in a plastic ziplock bag and allow them to steam for 20 minutes. Gently peel off the black skin. Remove the stem, slice them open, and scoop out the seeds. Roughly chop the peppers.
For the chicken:
Dissolve taco seasoning into chicken broth and pour over chicken breasts in a slow cooker, along with chopped garlic (2 cloves) and a chopped onion that have been sauteed for a couple minutes in oil. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 4-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. (You can use leftover broth to make Mexican rice).
For the sauce:
Saute one chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, and half of a chopped/seeded jalapeno in a medium sauce pan. (omit jalapeno or use less if you don't like a lot of heat, add a full one if you do). Add cumin and Mexican oregano and cook for another minute. Add the chiles and about 2 cups of chicken broth (you can add more later). Simmer for 5-10 minutes, and puree with an immersion blender or in a regular blender or food processor. Add more chicken broth if needed to get it to the desired consistency. Season with salt. If you find it too spicy, you can cool it down by mixing in a little sour cream.
For the enchiladas:
Mix shredded chicken with sour cream and half of the shredded cheese (and chard if using). Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and pour a little bit of the sauce on the bottom. Dip each tortilla in the sauce, and fill with some of the chicken mixture. Roll up and place in the pan. Pour sauce over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake in oven until everything is hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, green onions and lettuce. Serve alongside rice and beans.



Prep Time: 01:00


Cook time: 00:20


Tags: Anaheim, chard, chicken, chilies, enchiladas, green sauce, how to roast chilies in the oven, jalapeno, New Mexico, onion, verdes,

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,