We have a white chicken enchilada recipe that we love and Brandon requests all the time but I kept reading great reviews of a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. When I saw Josie blog about them and deemed them, “the best enchiladas ever,” I knew that I had to try this recipe. I think that Josie and I have really similar tastes. I don’t think she’s ever posted anything on her blog that I wouldn’t make. If you haven’t checked out her blog, Pink Parsley, you are totally missing out!
These enchiladas lived up to the hype. They were fabulous and I seriously couldn’t stop talking about how much I loved them. I think every time I took a bite I “mmm’d” and said “this is sooo good.” I couldnt’ wait to have the leftovers for dinner the next night. My favorite thing about them is that the enchilada sauce is homemade and not from a can. I am really trying to eliminate canned soups and sauces from our meals and this sauce was so much better than anything you can buy in a can and was relatively easy to make.
These enchiladas would be perfect for everything from a family dinner to entertaining to taking a meal to friends. I served them with Mexican Quinoa. A wonderful meal!
One Year Ago: Rocky Road Brownies (the FIRST recipe of 68 Days of Gourmet!)
Chicken Enchiladas
(Recipe source Pink Parsley, originally from America’s Test Kitchen)
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon canola or olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sugar
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch soft taco size) soft corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
Nestle chicken into the sauce and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should read 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl. Press the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the onion mixture. Add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro. Toss to combine.
Wrap tortillas in a paper towel and microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Working one tortilla at a time, spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in prepared baking dish.
Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.
Remove enchiladas from oven and reduce heat to 400 degrees. Pour sauce evenly on top of enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with toppings of your choice: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, additional cilantro
Yield: 6-8 servings
bakin' and eggs 