Best Ever Chicken Enchiladas

Best Ever Chicken Enchiladas
Photo by Greengatephoto.com 

Enchiladas so yummy you'll think they are the best ever! At least that is what my family and friends say, or perhaps it's because we've been eating them since 1986 when I adapted this recipe from our church cookbook. My cousin loves them so much she requests them on her birthday and has asked  me to post the recipe in case she feels like cooking before her next birthday. 

I think the real secret to these enchiladas is the seasoning I use on the chicken.  I came across it several decades ago while visiting relatives in San Antonio,Texas. It's not sold in the Pacific NW where I live, so I have become accustom to stocking up on it or ordering it online. 
www.fiestaspices.com

You'll be happy to know it comes MSG free.  I am such a fan of it I use it in a variety of meat dishes, so don't let the  name fool you, it's not just for fajitas -  at least in my opinion.

COMPLETE RECIPE follows the pictures. 

Sprinkle Fiesta Fajita Seasoning generously

Begin by baking 4 or more chicken breast sprinkled generously with Fiesta Fajita seasoning. ( Always good to have extra baked chicken for later)
While chicken is baking, saute your onions, remove from pan and  make your sauce.

I love this little tool for easily  making sauces lump free.  It's from Pampered Chef and is actually meant to be a drink mixer, but it's my nifty sauce tool.

Once your sauce is made and you've added the onions, green chilies and sour cream  add a layer of sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Remember to  reserve a cup of sauce, then add the chicken to the remaining sauce mixture. Next layer  the tortillas on top of the sauce. About four tortillas, folding to tear and    fit nice and squarely covering all the openings.  ( sorry no pictures of the tortillas folding and tearing)

Next layer is the meat and cheese,  the tortillas again,  meat and cheese.Third layer is tortillas topped off with the one cup of remaining sauce mixed with one cup of salsa.   Last is the  cheese and garnish.

Ready to Bake!

INGREDIENTS:

12 Corn Tortillas

Fiesta  Fajita Seasoning
2 Tbl canola oil
1/3 cup chopped onion ( or half of a medium onion)
3 cups chicken broth

4 Tbl flour

4 Tbl butter
 2  4oz  cans green chili

16 oz sour cream

1 cup salsa

4 cups  chopped chicken meat ( 4 chicken breast)

4- 5 cups grated Colby Jack or Mexican blend cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.Sprinkle chicken generously with Fiesta Fajita seasoning  (Or  Fiesta Chicken Fajita Seasoning)

2.Bake chicken until breast are cooked thoroughly.

3.Sauté onions in canola oil for 2-3 minutes – just enough to soften .  Remove  onions from pan and make sauce.

4.Sauce:  Melt butter over medium heat, add flour stirring constantly till smooth, cook about 2-3 minutes  or till lightly browned.  Slowly add chicken broth, stirring continuously.  Broth will thicken making a nice sauce.

 5.Turn off burner and add  chilis, onion and sour cream. 

6.Spread a thin layer of  sauce over the bottom layer of a 9x 13 pan.
7.  Reserve one cup of sauce.

8. Add your  chopped chicken to the sauce mixture.

9.Make a single layer of tortillas on top of sauce by  folding and  tearing  tortillas to fit into pan ( usually takes about 4).
10. Add a layer of meat sauce
11. then 2 cups of cheese.
12.Another layer of tortillas
13. Remaining meat sauce & 1 cup of cheese
14. Third  layer of tortillas
15.For the top layer of sauce  mix the one cup of reserved sauce with one cup of salsa. Spread on top .

16. Top with about  2 cups of cheese.  Garnish with green onions, sliced olives, or cilantro. 

17.Bake at 375 for  35- 40 minutes .  Until golden and bubbly.

In the summer I use fresh roasted green chili's from the garden.  (More info on that this summer.)

ENJOY! 

 And there you go!  Best Ever Chicken Enchiladas.

PS. I realize that we call these enchiladas but technically it is a casserole. I got tired of rolling up those darn  tortillas many years ago and just started layering them. SO much easier.  Please don't tell my family what real enchiladas look like.  Thanks!