Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe takes a while to make because everything is fresh down to homemade enchilada sauce.  It was well worth it.  Great flavor.  Perfect for entertaining because it makes a lot or leftovers for lunch all week!

Alex and I had so much fun making this dish.  We took advantage of some of the breaks by having a dance party in the kitchen.  See, cooking can make your marriage stronger:)

The jalapeños got me again!  My eyes burned for the next two mornings and nights while I was putting in/taking out my contacts.  One day I will learn to wear gloves or get smart and have Alex clean them up.

I loved that this recipe used white cheddar cheese.  Did you know the yellow cheddar cheese is yellow because of food dye?.  Here is an interesting site that explains why.

We made spanish green beans for our side and they are definitely not blog worthy so I won't waste your time!

Chicken Enchiladas
Source:  Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 15oz. can tomato sauce (another good Sam's bulk buy)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tomato seeded and chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 if you have the big frozen bag like us)
• 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided (I don't think it would kill you if you already have the yellow stuff on hand)
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
• 1/2 minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6 inch) soft corn tortillas
• cooking spray

Directions:

Combine the onion, jalapeño, and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.  Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato.  Bring the sauce to almost a boil, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes (ours took a little longer, just keep a thermometer in it or take it out and cut it to see how it is doing).  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.  

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible.  Transfer to reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside.  Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.  Add in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro.  Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Oil a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave fro 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla.  Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam side down.  Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray.  Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese (and a little extra if you want!).  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  (I would suggest spraying the foil with cooking spray before putting it on so the cheese does not stick to it like some of mine did).

Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned.  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.