Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Yield: 8-12 servings
3 lbs chicken, I usually use dark meat, but a mix of both or even just white meat works as well
1 small onion, chopped small
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, diced small
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
7 oz chopped green chiles
28 oz green chile enchilada sauce, a store-bought sauce is fine
1/2 cup sour cream
Optional: 1 1/2 cups cooked beans or 1 can, drained (I've used pinto, black and great northern)
8 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
15-20 white corn tortillas
Optional: fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish and sour cream for topping
Directions for cooking the chicken: Place
the chicken in a large pot and fill with water. Cover and bring to a
boil. After it is boiling, reduce heat to a low boil uncovered. Let the
chicken cook until it is easily shredded with forks or a pair of tongs.
I usually let it simmer about an hour. When it is falling apart,
remove it a few pieces at a time to a large bowl and shred it. Pour the
broth from the cooking pot over the shredded chicken, as you are
shredding it, about a half cup at a time. This will prevent it from
drying out. Add just enough liquid to be absorbed back into the
chicken. Save the rest of the liquid from the pot and use it to make Spanish Rice or any other dish calling for chicken broth.
Making the enchiladas:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the
onions and peppers and saute until almost tender. Add the green chiles,
and all of the spices. Add the chicken, beans, sour cream and 1/2 of
the green chile sauce. Toss or stir well to combine thoroughly.
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees. Place the tortillas in a stack on a cutting
board. Cut them like a pie, into 6 triangles. Set aside. Pour a small
amount of green chile sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 dish, turn the
dish in your hands, just to coat the bottom with the sauce. Place one
layer of tortilla triangles across the bottom of the dish and scoop
about a third of the chicken mixture on top of it. Top that with a
layer of cheese then another layer of tortillas. Repeat two more times,
topping the last layer of tortillas with the remaining green chile
sauce and then finishing with the final layer of cheese.
At
this point, the pan of enchiladas can be covered with foil and
refrigerated until ready to eat. If you do refrigerate the dish, simply
add an additional 20-30 minutes to the covered baking time.
Cover
the pan with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, then uncover and bake
an additional 5-10 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the cheese
is completely melted. Let rest 10-20 minutes on the stove-top prior to
serving. It will firm up and be much easier to slice after it has
cooled a bit. Garnish individual servings with cilantro and sour cream
just before serving. Enjoy!
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