Chicken Enchiladas
4 chicken breast halves
I'm always annoyed when recipes are vague. How much should the chicken breast weigh? A chicken breast raised by Tyson will be significantly smaller because of their rush to get to market than a free-range, non-hormone injected chicken breast. Since I rarely have chicken breast anyway because we prefer dark meat, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. My package weighed 1.3 lbs so that's what I used. I also had some diced turkey in the fridge that I figured I could use to supplement as needed.
So I boiled and let cool and chopped the onion while that was happening.
After chopping the chicken I decided to "set aside" in the original pan - why dirty a bowl.
But then I read about sauteing the onion and adding the tomatoes and such so I put the chicken in a bowl and used the original pan to make the sauce - why dirty another pan.
I measured the 1 c. onion in my Tupperware 1 cup measure and then used my Tupperware measuring spoon to get 1 tsp. of minced garlic and gently set it on top of the cup. I always use pre-minced garlic.
I decided to get all the ingredients ready first (something I don't always do even though that is what professional chefs recommend). So I pureed the 2-16oz cans of tomatoes before I started sauteing the onion. At the same time I was wondering, why didn't I just buy a 28oz can of tomato puree and call it a day. Maybe when this recipe was written that wasn't a thing...but now it is so if I make this again that's what I would do - why dirty a blender. I used my favorite Oxo can opener to open all the cans. I love the way it locks on to the side of the can - true fact...I never mastered an electric can opener.
My Ninja got the tomatoes nice and smooth with just a 30 second run.
I used a pinch bowl and my favorite ring of metal measuring spoons, a gift from my mother, just like the ones she had, to measure all the spices (1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp dried whole oregano, 1/2 tsp dried whole basil, 1/2 tsp dried whole cilantro, 1/4 tsp salt). I don't follow the rules for spices, I keep mine for years...until I run out. Case in point, the oregano is in a jar that my mom had in her kitchen labeled "Oregano from Greece". My mom died 6 years ago. She went to Greece a few years before that or maybe some relatives visiting brought it to her, but at best it was 8 year old oregano - just fine. I used coriander instead of cumin because I didn't have cumin. I also reduced the coriander and the cilantro to 3/4 tsp because we are not big fans of either spice.)
I like to stir the spices up in the pinch bowl once they are all together - I figure it just lessens the chance that they won't get stirred well in the final product.
I found a 7 oz can of green chiles that was WAY cheaper than buying 2-4oz cans so I figured 1 oz less wouldn't hurt.
As I was pouring in the liquefied tomatoes I noticed there was still a lot of oil/grease in the pan...too late to do anything about it. In the end I don't think it mattered at all. Funny thing was, I actually measured the 2 TBSP oil this time - usually I just eyeball it. But this time I knew I had the right amount.
I added in the spices before the chilies, just because I thought it would make mixing smoother.
My mother always told me that simmering meant you leave the lid slightly ajar or off-kilter so a little steam can escape. Usually when I see a recipe that says simmer it also says stir occasionally. This one didn't but I still stirred every ten minutes or so. I think the sauce turned out really nice.
Traditional enchiladas require dipping the corn tortilla into the homemade sauce or oil and then rolling. These flour tortillas were not directed to be dipped so I was able to roll during the hour the sauce was simmering. In my house, enchiladas or lasagna or anything with cheese means I make two pans because I have a non-cheese eater. So instead of one 9x13 pan I made an 8x8 (for the two cheese eaters) and a 6x6. I figure 9x13=117 sq in and 64+36=100 sq in so it really isn't that much off.
To grease lightly I got the paper towel that had been used as a cover a few times in my microwave.
I know I'm going to throw the grease towel away so I may as well put a fresh one in the microwave and use the partially used one one last time before disposal.
I put 1 TBSP cheese on the tortilla, then 2 TBSP chicken and 1 additional TBSP cheese on top of the chicken then rolled.
When I made the non-cheese pan, since the pan was smaller, I folded in the ends of the tortillas after the initial roll was started, sort of like a wrap or burrito.
Honestly, I was pretty sure I was making baked burritos more than enchiladas.
I had a little less than 1 c. of chicken left over but I had also supplemented several tortillas with the left over turkey. Also I only used 9 tortillas so 1.3 lbs. may be a little short...if you are the type that keeps an extra can of diced chicken in your pantry then you might need it for this recipe. Or just use maybe 1.75 lbs. chicken.
The sauce was done about 12:30 but I didn't want to put it on until I was ready to bake because I didn't want the flour tortillas to get too mushy. Then I remembered I needed to add 3/4 c. sour cream - which my non-cheese eater also does not like. So I put sauce on the small pan around 1 o'clock and stirred sour cream into the pan (a little less since I'd already taken out some sauce) but waited to sauce the large pan until just before putting it in the oven.
I had lots of sauce left over so I will freeze it and use it on more enchiladas in the future, or maybe on fish or chicken. I served the meal with white rice and zucchini. After I put the sauce in the freezer I just rinsed the pan and cooked the rice in it. Actually I prefer oven-baked rice, a recent discovery, but my best rice-baking pan is in the freezer with left over pork in it. When I'm just cooking for the family, I don't always follow all the kitchen rules. I mean, this same pan was used to boil chicken and then make the sauce, including sour cream, which sat on the stove-top for four hours without refrigeration and then was only rinsed and used for rice. I'm not suggesting you follow my habits, just my recipes. Use whatever practices work in your kitchen for your family. I never mix cutting boards! And I do follow more sanitary rules if I'm cooking for others.
Even with the light grease these were a little hard to get out of the pan. I needed both a spatula and a fork.
They didn't look beautiful but I found them very tasty. The bottom was a little crunchy and the top was mush, as expected, but overall the taste was mild and warm and creamy - not exactly a taste more a texture but very enjoyable.
In spite of the non-traditional form I would make these again. They would be good comfort food.
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