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!

ROSEMARY & HERB CHICKEN

                        Rosemary & Herb Crusted Chicken

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Great with 
Fettuccine and Gorgonzola Sauce

Spaghetti Squash & Kale pesto

Strawberry, Spinach & Pecan Salad

Gorgonzola French Bread 

Rosemary Herb Crusted Chicken

4 chicken breast

6 oz plain  yogurt

One fresh  lemon

2 cloves  minced garlic

Fresh rosemary finely chopped  (or  fresh parsley)

Bread crumbs (croutons from Costco crushed)

Parmesan cheese grated

Directions

1.       Mix yogurt, juice from one lemon, minced garlic and herbs in a pie dish

2.       Dip chicken in yogurt mixture

3.       Dip chicken in crumbs ( I add some Parmesan to the bread crumbs)

4.       Place on baking pan, spray with butter flavor canola oil and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese

5.       Bake at 350 for 45 min .

 

GORGONZOLA SAUCE FOR PASTA

I really like this yummy blue-veined cheese because it melts quickly and works well in sauces. Sometimes I  lightly sprinkle it over  veggies for for some zip and a smooth salty flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

• 12oz Gorgonzola cheese, broken up with a fork
• 1 1/2 T unsalted butter
• 1/3-cup heavy cream
• 3/4-cup milk
• pepper
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• sage, fresh-2 or 3 leaves or big pinch of dried sage
• 1 lb spaghetti or fettuccine

METHOD:

1. Cook pasta according to directions on box.
2. MEANWHILE, melt the butter in a large saucepan (a double boiler can be used but it will take longer) over very low heat.
3. ADD the Gorgonzola, crushing it further with a fork.
4. ADD the heavy cream, milk, nutmeg and sage stirring continuously with a wooden spoon till smooth and velvety in consistency.
5. REMOVE fresh sage leaves if used. add pepper.
6. REMOVE from heat but keep warm.
7. DRAIN pasta.
8. IF saucepan is large enough to accommodate the pasta, add pasta to Gorgonzola mixture, otherwise place pasta in a warm bowl.
9. POUR sauce onto pasta and mix very well adding a little more pepper.  Garnish with parsley.

Kale and Walnut Pesto

¼ cup chopped walnuts

3 garlic cloves

Salt

½ cup good olive oil

½ cup Parmesan cheese

½ pound of Kale with stems removed

Directions

1.       Blanch Kale.  (Bring water to boil, add Kale and 1 tsp salt.  When water returns to a boil let boil for 1-2  minutes and remove, put in ice water) Drain well.

2.       In a food processor chop garlic and walnuts.

3.       Add Kale to food processor, slowly add olive oil until smoothly pureed

4.       Add Parmesan. And salt if desired.

5.       Serve over pasta, rice or  my favorite - Spaghetti Squash 

 I   I also like it with crackers, especially the brand Mary's Gone Crackers

(    Add cheese after mixing with pasta, rice or squash to prevent little clumps) 

 Spinach, Strawberry and Pecan Salad

Ingredients

• 2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
• Some  assorted  lettuce chopped
• 4 cups sliced strawberries
• One small red onion sliced into thin rings
• Candied walnuts or pecans
• One can mandarin oranges

Dressing

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, lettuce,  red onion, oranges and strawberries.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds.
3.  Pour over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat.     Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Gorgonzola French Bread

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese Crumbled
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp parsley
pepper
1 (16oz) loaf Italian bread
Parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler.

Cream the butter with the Gorgonzola cheese.  Mince garlic and add to cheese mixture. Add chopped parsley, and season  with pepper. Slice bread in half lengthwise. Spread cheese mixture on each half of bread. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Place under Broiler