Amazing Chicken Enchiladas

 

 

Josh turned 15 over the weekend - sigh, where does the time go? He a BIG boy towering over me and already the tallest in the family. It is hard to wrap my mind around it.  He is my sweetest, most loving child. He kisses me and thanks me all the time. He is thoughtful and caring. I love him so much!! 

He requested a chocolate cake and let me tell you the cake I baked didn't disappoint - I made him Pioneer Woman's The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever - and good gosh all friday, it is one SUPER SWEET TREAT!!! I omitted the nuts in the frosting but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.  The is my new favorite cake. You can't eat much it is so rich but wow does it taste amazing. Perfect for my big boy!

Then for dinner I made homemade chicken enchiladas - it was a hit - so much so my husband requested I make it again and for company! That my friends is the highest praise he gives and I am still smiling. 

It came out rather spicy but delicious. This is definitely a winner

 Amazing Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped (about a cup)
• Coconut oil or butter or combo
• 4 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lg can tomatoes, fire-roasted if you can get it
• 1 jalapeno - no seeds
•  red chili powder (start at one tsp and keep tasting)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water
• 1 tiny can of sliced black olives - chopped
• 12 corn tortillas
• Coconut oil or lard
• 2-3 cups of bang bang cooked chicken
• Salt
• 2 cups grated cheese (about 1/3 lb) I used a combo of cheddar and Monterrey jack

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Prepare the sauce. Coat a large iron skillet (if you are lucky enough to have one)  with oil and sauté the onions on medium heat until translucent, this just takes a  few minutes. Add the garlic for a minute more. While the onions are cooking, purée the canned tomatoes in a blender with the jalapeno. Add the onions and garlic to the blender and just blend a bit. Put the red sauce back into your pan and bring to a low simmer. Start adding the chili powder, one teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition, until you get to the desired level of heat and chili flavor.  It depends on your taste and how strong the chili powder is that you are using. I used way too much for us this time - will start small next time.  Also, the tortillas and chicken will absorb some of the heat, so you want it a bit spicier than you would think.  Add a tsp or so of sugar if necessary to cut down on the acid from the tomatoes. You want your red sauce to have more of the taste of the chili and less of the tomatoes. As the sauce simmers, you will need to dilute it with water to keep it from getting too thick. I let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Then remove from heat.

3 Mix in  about a 1/4 cup of the sauce with the cooked chicken, add the olives and stir. Sprinkle with a little salt. Set aside.

4 Prepare the tortillas.  Heat a small iron skillet on med-high heat. Add enough oil  to coat the pan. Cook the tortilla for a little bit - a minute on each side at the most, you are just heating them up  a bit and then you dip the  tortilla in the sauce to coat the tortilla with sauce on both sides.I used tongs to flip the tortillas around.

5 Assemble the enchiladas. Use a large baking dish. Lightly cover the bottom with some red sauce. Then place a couple spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla, add a bit of cheese and roll it up. Place in the baking dish and repeat until all dozen of your tortillas are neatly placed in rows in the casserole dish. Cover the tortillas rolls with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.
6 Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.
 I served  this with sour cream and I bet it would be fabulous with guacamole!

Notes:
1. can use up to 2 TBS of chili powder but that would be way too spicy with the jalapeno.
2. Having the chicken cooked and bang banged ahead of time would make this go much quicker.
3. Double this for our family (only 5 of us were here and we ate every bite) Maybe make one a bit spicier than the other.
4. I liked the sauce way better than any I have tasted before - from scratch is definitely the way to go!

How about you, is there a sauce you make now that just knocks the canned version out of the running? Or one that you would like to make from scratch and haven't yet tried?

Update 10/25/11 All I had was pepperjack cheese which is way too spicy for my husband so I melted a brick of cream cheese and mixed in the pepperjack which I then put on top of the enchilladas (no cheese inside, I didn't have enough). This made a delicious variation that I actually like better.

I am linking this to the Hearth and Soul Hop and Fudge Ripple's Tuesday Night Supper Club.  Plus Amy @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.  
and Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday.