White Chicken Enchiladas
Description
Borrowed from the Pioneer Woman, these are so over-the-top tasty that I’ve already made them for a LOT of people. The recipe below is my outline…you can use a variety of ingredients to get great flavor so I’ve tried to include a couple of options. The necessities? Corn tortillas, roast chicken and sour cream – enjoy!
Ingredients
Filling – for 12 corn tortillas, or a lasagna pan-sized amount
1 large onion, diced
1 to 3 cans (127 mL) diced green chilies OR half of 1 jar (440 mL) salsa verde OR 1 or 2 jalapeño or Serrano peppers diced as you wish OR a combination of any of these to achieve your preferred level of heat
2 to 3 c. chopped, cooked chicken
1 t. paprika AND 1/2 c. heavy cream
12 whole corn tortillas AND 1 c. grated Monterey Jack (or old cheddar)
White Sauce
2 T. butter AND 2 T. flour
1 1/2 c. strong chicken broth
1 or 2 cans (127 mL) diced green chilies OR half of 1 jar (440 mL) salsa verde
1 c. sour cream
1 c. grated Monterey Jack (or old cheddar)
cilantro (or cilantro sprouts) and salsa or picante sauce for serving
Instructions
For the filling – heat up a bit of oil in a large skillet and saute the onions for a few minutes until softened – if you’re using chopped peppers, add them here as well. Add in the chicken and then 2 can of chilies OR half a jar of salsa verde, stir well and then sprinkle in the paprika and pour in the cream.
I’ve taken the time to individually heat, and therefore soften the corn tortillas in a dry pan, or in a lightly oiled pan – I’ve also tried covering them with a clean damp cloth and microwaving them for several seconds. After the effort, most cracked by the time I had all 12 filled and at the end of the day, you’re hiding everything with white sauce! We still prefer the rolls (instead of lasagna noodle style), because it’s easier to dish up portions and quite simply, enchiladas are rolls, not lasagna layers.
So – lightly grease a large casserole, and into each corn tortilla, sprinkle a bit of grated cheese, add some filling, roll it as best as you can, and fit it snugly into the pan until all are filled. If there’s any extra filling, simply tuck it into the pan to fill any gaps.
To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, whisk in the flour until all is well incorporated and then slowly whisk in the broth and allow it all to come to a simmer. Add in either more chilies or the rest of your jar of salsa verde, stir in the sour cream and then add in the cheese and continue to stir until all is melted and the sauce is smooth. The sauce should be thicker than gravy at this point.
Pour all of the sauce evenly over your prepared enchiladas and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 – if you’d like, you can also broil your casserole for a couple of minutes to brown the top. Ultimately, you want the dish piping hot and bubbling throughout. Garnish with cilantro and serve it up with any number of tasty condiments – I promise these will be a hit!
