Sometimes a craving may hit you and you’re not exactly sure how to satisfy it. Perhaps, the go-to pizza or burger option seems viable, but it still may not do the trick. Enter the chicken enchilada, a savory Mexican dish traditionally containing beans, meat, cheese, vegetables, and potatoes all rolled up into a corn tortilla. Any of these ingredients can be alternated. However, what makes it an enchilada so special are the sauces and spices that are used, as well as what they contain and the overall flavor.
What You’ll Need
- 1 10 oz. can of enchilada sauce
- 4 oz. of cubed cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cup of salsa
- 2 cups of shredded chicken
- 1 can of rinsed and drained pinto beans
- 1 can of green chili peppers, chopped
- 10 6 in. flour tortillas
- 1 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1/4 of a lettuce head, shredded
- 1 chopped tomato
- Ripe olives, sliced (optional)
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What To Do
1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 13X9 inch baking ban with olive or vegetable oil.
2. Spoon 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and spread across baking dish, evenly.
3. In a large saucepan, stir the cream cheese and salsa on low heat, until fully melted and salsa completely incorporated.
4. Stir in the shredded chicken, beans and chilies.
5. Lay a tortilla flat on a clean plate. Place the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla, then roll up, placing the seamed edge face-down, into the sauce. Repeat this step with the remaining 9 tortillas, placing the enchiladas side-by-side.
6. Top the enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce.
7. Cover and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until tortillas are lightly brown or sauce and cheese is bubbling.
8. Once enchiladas are done. Take out of oven and cover with lettuce, tomatoes, and olives (optional).
9. Serve and enjoy!
Additional Notes
When preparing your chicken for this dish, you may opt to purchase a precooked chicken breast or shred chicken from a rotisserie. However, if you’d prefer to cook your own chicken, grilled chicken imparts a full, juicy flavor that will benefit your taste buds. Baked chicken is also an alternative that pairs well with enchiladas.
When it comes to the sauce, red or green are both options that typically go well with enchiladas. However, some people prefer either or. Green sauce is typically a mixture of tomatillos, onions, green chillies and garlic and emotes a fruitier, tart taste. Red enchilada sauce, on the other hand, is zestier, containing red chillies, garlic, red peppers, paprika and cumin. The choice is yours, but the best way of choosing a sauce is to think of the flavor profile you desire. Heavier, spicier fare, such as beef, may pair with red sauce, whereas poultry and fish, may be better suited for green sauce.
Chicken enchiladas are packed with flavor, but are so simple to make that anyone can prepare them. Try this enticing dish for yourself or with others as a main course. You won’t be dissapointed.
