Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients:
olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
1 large onion, minced and divided
6-8 garlic cloves, crushed and divided
2 4 oz. cans of diced green chiles, divided
3 TBS fresh cilantro, chopped
8 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
1 jar salsa (I use the fresh store bought or Pace Picante Medium)
1 envelope Lawry's Enchilada Sauce seasoning mix (don't use canned)
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
water
1 tsp chili powder, divided
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp oregano, divided
cayenne or Tabasco pepper sauce to taste, depending how hot you want it
1 ~ 1 1/2 pounds shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese (depending how "cheesy" you want it)
Directions:
1. Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a nonstick pan on medium-high. Add half the onion and cook until translucent.
2. Add half the garlic, and all the chicken pieces (leave pieces whole), cilantro, 1/8 tsp oregano, poultry seasoning, 1/4 tsp seasoning salt, and 1/2 tsp chili powder, and cook for 15 minutes on medium, then turn heat down to low.
3. Add 1 can of chilies and 1 cup of the salsa. Simmer on low for 30 - 45 minutes, or until chicken is so tender that it falls apart. Shred the chicken.
4. As the chicken simmers, take a 2 quart saucepan and put a bit of olive oil in it. Sautee the remaining onion, garlic, and other 4 oz. can of green chilies until translucent. Add the packet of Enchilada sauce and add water and tomato paste according to directions. Add oregano and cayenne or Tabasco to taste (optional) and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
5. As the chicken and sauce simmer, pour some vegetable oil in a frying pan and begin to fry the corn tortillas on medium heat. Do not overcook you want them to remain soft.
6. Pour one cup of the enchilada sauce evenly into a 9x13 pyrex dish. Dip each corn tortilla in the enchilada sauce, then add 1-2 TBS of the chicken mixture onto the center of the tortilla. Top the mixture with 1 TBS cheese and roll, making sure the roll is secure. Put into the pyrex dish one at a time until all enchiladas are done and lay side by side. Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese
7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is bubbly and brown on top. This goes wonderfully with refried beans. I bake the beans (covered with foil) next to the enchiladas in the oven. The beans require a bit of enchilada sauce so save some for them. Enjoy!
~*~ From Suzy ~*~