Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Chicken Enchiladas

The weather has been slightly cooler over the past couple days, so I am feeling less concerned about overheating our house.  I am finally able to turn on our oven!  Yay!  And the bathroom renovations are done (for now....) so I have more free time on my hands.  Yes, this is a good thing.  I was going slightly batty.  I'm done with renovations!  I was starting to think it would never end. 

My wonderful sisters Charlee and Marlina spent about a week  here and I loved every minute of it.  So sad to see them go!  The next time we will get together will be in October...long time away *tear! but we managed to spend lots of time together and even bake some cupcakes!  I promise I will share them with you soon, they are my favorite so far! :D

These chicken enchiladas are simply amazing.  I've made them many times over the past year, always with good results.  It's not a spicy dish, which is fine with me, but I think Gavin would have liked them a little more spicy.  But that's easy to solve-perhaps by adding more jalapenos or chili powder.  I am always still surprised that chicken is still so moist, even after boiling it and cooking it in the oven.  We have a lovely Mexican restaurant in town but I still prefer these enchiladas over theirs.  So when I need to fix my Mexican craving, this is what I make!

Chicken Enchiladas

Makes 8-12 enchiladas, depending on the size of the tortillas

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, diced finely
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 1/2  tsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, medium sized, minced
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. sugar
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 cup water
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 8-inch corn tortillas or 8 10-inch flour tortillas
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the onion, jalapeno and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion and peppers soften. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water and chopped tomato. Once the sauce starts to simmer, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture is slightly thickened. Place the chicken into the sauce, ensuring it is covered completely. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, approximately 20-22 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

With a large mesh strainer, strain the sauce into a medium sized bowl. Press down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the solids to another large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Oil a 9X13" baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces (I used 2 forks to do this, or you can use your hands if you prefer). Add the shredded chicken to the bowl with the onion mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, and the cilantro. Stir to combine.

Stack the corn tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap, microwaving for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable (Note-When I used corn tortillas I skipped this step). Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture even down the centre of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla around the filling, tightly, and place on prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. Lightly spray the top of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered for approximately 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, bake for 5 minutes, until the cheese is brown. Remove from the oven, and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from America's Test Kitchen