Today I thought I’d try a dish I’ve never made before. They turned out better than I imagined but I would best leave them as a weekend dinner, when I/you have extra time.  Even though I got home at 5pm today, with this being a new dish and the improvisation that comes with creating the flavour I was looking for, it took longer than I expected. So yes. Note to self: Next time, Enchilada Sunday.  This dish goes a long way and is perfect for a big family or hungry dinner guests.  The ingredients below will make a good 12 Enchiladas.  I made 6 tonight and froze the other half of the chicken mix for one of those days when we’re lazy to cook. Nothing better than heat and serving a lovely meal.

You’ll Need

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp Sriracha sauce (I don’t like spicy food. this gave it a little heat. Feel free to add 1 jalapeno if you like them).
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1, 398ml can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 398ml can diced fire roasted tomatoes (I bought Aylmer’s)
• 2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups of Tex Mex cheese (or whichever blend you can find)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 6 – 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil then add diced onion, Sriracha sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions are soft.

Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook until fragrant.

Add the canned tomato sauce, chicken stock and fire roasted tomato to the pan and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the sauce. Reduce heat to medium/low, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through. I set the timer to 17minutes and the chicken was fully cooked.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Pour the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl. Press down on the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper if needed.  Mine tasted perfect to me so I left it.

Preheat the oven to 450

Using two forks, shred the chicken and add it to the onion mixture then add a 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese and the cilantro. Stir to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and Microwave on high for 40 seconds.

Working one at a time, spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased baking dish. Lightly brush the tops of the enchiladas with olive oil. Place in the oven uncovered for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown and crisp slightly.

Reduce oven heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover the dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Remove foil and broil for another 3-5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with toppings of your choice. Sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, salsa, extra cilantro work great – I served ours with a green salad and Mexican style red pepper rice.

I guarantee that after this meal you’ll need a Mexican siesta.  We’re feeling pretty relaxed and sleepy after this comforting meal.

Until next time.

Love,

Jennifer