NOW WE'RE COOKING: Chicken enchiladas

December 14, 2011

I love Mexican food. OK, I love all food, but I love to make these enchiladas because they're tasty and pretty darn easy; they just take some time to make. They are great for a night in with your beau or for a large group of people.

Suggestion: Read through the entire recipe before making the meal. You need to make sure you have the right artillery and time for the enchiladas.

What you'll need:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 cans (10 oz) of enchilada sauce (I prefer Old El Paso, but whatever floats your boat.)
4 cups of canola oil
Package of 6 inch corn tortillas (18 pack)
Sour cream
16 oz bag of mixed finely shredded cheese — try the fiesta blend; if you can't find that, use sharp cheddar
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Chili powder
Cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Got everything? Let's go!

1) Heat your oven to 350 degrees, because we're roasting the chicken. Trim the fat off of the chicken and butterfly the meat (take a sharp knife and carefully slit the meat halfway through the thickness, almost cutting it through, then unfold it. It looks like a butterfly.).

2) Once you open the chicken, sprinkle it liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. This will give the meat great flavor while it's cooking. Put the meat into a roasting pan, stick it in the oven and let it cook for 20 to 25 minutes. You want an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Tip: If you don't have time to roast the chicken, you can boil it and season after it's cooked and cooled.

3) After 25 minutes, take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest. What I mean by that is let it hang out. Don't cut it, poke it or even breathe on it. It needs to relax after being cooked. All of the juices will redistribute throughout the breasts and keep them moist. P.S. Keep the oven on.

4) Once the chicken has cooled down, shred the meat with two forks and put to the side in a bowl.

Shred the chicken with two forks. by Meghan Kotowski

5) This is the time to season the meat until you can't season anymore with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. I eyeball everything. I use a ton of cumin and chili powder because they both bring warmth to the dish (they are two spices usually used in chili).

Tip: If you don't know much about the spices, put a little in your palm, then smell it and taste it. You can use them however you'd like.

6) Now it's time to fry the corn tortillas. Add the canola oil to a medium sauce pan with high sides and place it over medium high heat. You'll know when it's heated through when ripples appear at the bottom of the pan.

7) One tortilla at a time, add to the oil. Flip the tortilla often to avoid browning. The reason we are frying the tortillas is to cook the raw taste out of them and make them more pliable.

Flip tortilla often to avoid browning. by Meghan Kotowski

8) Set up an assembly line. Get the tortillas, a plate full of enchilada sauce (we like them super messy in my house), sour cream, cheese and chicken. Cover both sides of the tortilla with sauce, spread on sour cream, sprinkle a little cheese and add the chicken. Do not fill the tortilla too much — you won't be able to roll it up.

Here's a fully assembled enchilada. by Meghan Kotowski

9) Roll the tortilla up and place in a 9x13 baking dish. (I like to cover the bottom of the pan with one can of enchilada sauce so the tortillas don't stick.) Repeat until there is no more room.

Place rolled enchiladas in pan. Snuggle them in tightly. by Meghan Kotowski

10) Top the enchiladas with additional enchilada sauce (we like them REALLY messy), cheese, cumin and chili powder. Put the pan in the oven for 15 minutes to warm everything up and melt the cheese.