chicken enchiladas

So, since the shelter-in-place, Ryan has been working from home. I am currently out of work. Completing a 1000+ piece puzzle a day has been helping to pass time and keep my mind stimulated. Bella gets lots of loving all day long and she's happier than ever. Other than that, the biggest part of my day is thinking about what I'm going to cook or bake next. Obviously, I have been trying to be compliant by staying in as much as possible and thus limiting my number of trips to the grocery store. I have been making all of our meals and trying to keep it interesting can be challenging.

For the week, I try to have a repertoire of meals that I could make that are straight forward and not terribly time-consuming. This is helpful because, during a normal work week, time may not be as plentiful as it is now. Something that I don't make super often, but nice to have in my back pocket as a dinner option, is chicken enchiladas. The great thing is that you can take the skeleton of this recipe and adapt it however you like- different protein, omit additions you do not like. This is just my basic recipe and you can customize to your preference.

Bri's Chicken Enchiladas

Yields one 9x13 casserole dish (I got about 13 enchiladas in there)

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup diced)

4 oz can diced green chiles

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 5 cups shredded chicken)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

12 fl oz red enchilada sauce (I got mine from Trader Joe's. If you like your enchiladas more saucy, feel free to get a bigger can/bottle or an extra one. This is just what I had.)

3.8 oz can sliced black olives, drained

12 oz bag Mexican style shredded cheese blend

corn tortillas (mine were 6-inch diameter)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, heat up enchilada sauce on low heat. Keep on very low heat. Check on it and stir occasionally if needed.

2. In a large skillet on medium heat, add olive oil. When oil is hot, add diced onion and sauté until softened. Stir frequently so cook is even.

3. Add shredded chicken, green chiles, and a Tbsp of chopped cilantro to the onions. Stir to combine. Add a few spoonfuls of the warmed enchilada sauce to the mixture. Stir again until mixture looks cohesive. Turn off heat and set aside. 

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

5. Remove heat from enchilada sauce. Add a couple spoonfuls of the sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. (I always do this because the bottoms of the enchiladas will get a little sauce and it will also prevent sticking.)

6. Place a small skillet on medium heat. Warm each corn tortilla (both sides) one at a time. After tortilla is warmed, place on plate or cutting board to fill and roll. Add a hearty amount of chicken mixture and a sprinkle of cheese onto each tortilla. Roll tightly but carefully as to not break the tortilla. Repeat and continue the process, lining them up side-by-side in one layer across the whole dish. (Because I only had 12 oz of sauce, I only wanted to make one dish. If I have any leftover of the chicken mixture, I will top the enchiladas with it after they are all already rolled into the dish.)

7. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas. Get every little bit in there. Spread sauce around the top so it is dispersed as evenly as possible. 

8. Add the rest of the shredded cheese over the top in an even layer. Then sprinkle black olives on top of cheese.

9. Bake in preheated oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese gets bubbly.

10. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining chopped cilantro over the top. 

11. Serve hot. Enjoy.

THE SAUCE: Like I mentioned above in the recipe, you can elect to get a bigger can/bottle of sauce or just more of it than I used. I'm not opposed to it at all. I used the red enchilada sauce from Trader Joe's and it comes in a 12 fl oz bottle. I just don't like opening up another bottle for a bit more sauce because then the remaining will just go to waste. If you get a different brand where there is a bigger quantity in the can/bottle, then you can totally use it. That just means you will have more sauce to add to filling mixture, the bottom of the dish and over the top. 

THE FILLING: When I buy a rotisserie chicken, I always try to remove all the skin and get all the meat off it right away while it is warm. If I pick of a little at a time, I find a lot of it goes to waste because I just don't have the desire to go back to it and pick off more meat. 5 cups of shredded chicken might seem like a lot, but again, I don't like to waste. You're rotisserie chicken may be bigger/smaller, I just use the whole thing. Also note that I really stuff these enchiladas. Some people like less meat, more cheese and sauce. I like more meat in each one so that they are a little heartier. That's also one of the reasons I would rather make my own enchiladas than buy them. I feel like most enchiladas skimp on the filling, but not mine. Again, a preference you can choose when you make your own. With this amount of filling mixture, if you choose to add less to each one, you can definitely get more enchiladas made out of it. But keep in mind, if you exceed the 9x13 tray, you will need more sauce to compensate for an additional tray (to layer on the bottom and cover across the top). 

Anyway, regardless, it comes out great every time. With all these ingredients combined, there is really no way it can go wrong. And if you have a two-person household, like ours, then you will have plenty of leftovers so you don't have to cook again the next day. And that's the best part! Ta da!