Chicken Enchiladas I

I've been a little distracted lately.  If you could see my house, you'd understand why.  There are boxes in every room.  Some are full and taped, some are empty, and some are half-full of a random assortment of things.  My children begin to unpack boxes as soon as I fill them up.  Why do I have the feeling that as soon as we move and actually need to unpack boxes, their interest in unpacking will disappear?

But I'm still here and I'm still cooking.  Because we still need to eat.  And I'm pretty sure I could eat Mexican food about five nights a week.  Notice I did not say authentic Mexican food.  So please do not leave me a comment that cream of chicken soup is not authentically Mexican.

These enchiladas were a staple at our house growing up.  We always called them white enchiladas because my mom also made great beef enchiladas with a red sauce, which we called red enchiladas.  I'll have to share red enchiladas with you someday, because they are really good. 

But today it's chicken enchiladas because clock is ticking and there are still a few chicken breasts in the freezer left to eat in the next few days.  And my husband loves these chicken enchiladas and my kids love them.  They're fast, easy and delicious.   

So here's what we're going to do: cook some chicken, put together a sauce with green chiles, cream of chicken soup and sour cream, and roll it all in a tortilla and top with cheese.

Sound good?

You know it does.

Start with the chicken.  Cook about 4 boneless skinless breasts and then chop it up.  You can boil it in water (what I usually do) or roast it in the oven (for a more tender, moist chicken).  The amount of chicken is not critical here.  If you like chicken, cook 5 breasts.  If you like more sauce, cook 3 breasts.  You really can't mess this up.  Unless you overcook it, that is.

Now we need to make the sauce.

I'm pretty sure it's not possible to go wrong with cream of chicken soup (feel free to use fat-free), sour cream (do not, for any reason, use fat-free), and green chiles. 

I really appreciate green chiles.  They add so much flavor and if you buy them chopped, they are so easy.

So mix the sauce with the chicken and here's what you'll have.

Now it's time to grate some cheese.  I like to use a combo of cheddar and pepper jack. 

You know, pepper jack cheese is just Monterey Jack with little tiny pieces of peppers in it.  It's not hot but has a nice kick to it.

Now it's time to roll!  Take the filling and divide it among about 12 soft taco-sized flour tortillas.  Roll them up and lay in them in a (greased!) 9x13 casserole dish.

 And top the whole thing with the cheese.  And then bake it until it's really bubbly and the cheese is melty.

This is really delicious.  Your family will thank you for making this.  If your friend just had a baby, take this to her.  It's a proven fact that breastfed babies eat a wider variety of food later in life because they are exposed to different flavors through their mother's milk. 

I probably just lost a reader or two because I just used the word "breastfed." 



What can I say?  I'm a mother of a baby and a toddler.  And I'll leave it at that.

Chicken Enchiladas I

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
2 7-oz. cans diced green chiles
12 small flour tortillas (soft taco size)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded pepper jack cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and green chiles.  Portion your filling among the tortillas, roll up the tortillas around the filling, and place them, seam side down, in the dish.

Top with cheese and bake for 35-45 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Let the enchiladas sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.