Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

My good friends Christy and Heather shared this recipe with me and it is FABULOUS. They got it from "Cooks Illustrated".

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

Makes 10 Enchiladas, serving 4 or 5 as a main dish

(Monterey Jack can be used instead of cheddar.)

Sauce and Filling

1 1/2 Tbs vegetable of corn oil

1 med onion, chopped fine(about 1 cup)

3 med garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press(about 1 tbs)

3 Tbs chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs - I have used chicken breasts for this, or I have even tried this recipe with canned chicken), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/4 inch wide strips

2 cans (8oz each) tomato sauce

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 can/jar (4oz) pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped (about 1/4 cup)

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)

Tortillas and Toppings

10 six-inch corn tortillas (I use flour)

3 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)

3/4 cup sour cream

1 avocado, diced med

5 romaine lettuce leaves, washed, dried, and shredded

2 limes, quartered

1. For the sauce and Filling: Heat oil in med saucepan over med-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt ,and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly until coated with spices, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and ¾ cup water; stir to separate chicken pieces. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes. Pour mixture through medium-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside. Transfer chicken mixture to large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine with cilantro, jalapenos, and cheese in medium bowl and set aside.

2. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees.

3. to assemble: 1. Smear entire bottom of 13 by 9 inch baking dish with ¾ cup chili sauce. 2. Place tortillas on two baking sheets. Spray both sides lightly with cooking spray. Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, about 4 mins. 3. Place warm tortillas on counter top. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Place 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla. 4. Roll each tortilla tightly by hand and place in baking dish, side by side, seam-side down. 5. Pour remaining chili sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce so it coats top of each tortilla. 6. Sprinkle ¾ cup grated cheese down center of enchiladas.

4. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchilads on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, passing sour cream, avocado, lettuce and lime wedges separately.

Enchildas Casserole...with cooking chicken tip

If you are like me, you've lived in fear of under cooking chicken and watching your family die of salmonella, giardia, avian flu, the plague, or whatever one gets when eating bad, raw chicken. This results in either too much butter or marinade so it's unhealthy and no longer tastes like chiekn, or, chewy, nasty dry chicken. I'd almost sworn off chicken. At least fish and beef you can undercook and not be scared. In fact, both I prefer with as little cooking as possible.

But, thank goodness for Martha Stewart. Say what you will, I have learned a ton of tricks and this might be the best so far.

You may never cook chicken any other way - be prepared.

For this recipe you will need 3 whole chicken breasts. I do skinless boneless, but you are going to shred it after cooking, so it doesn't matter. Cut them in half, get a big sheet (up to 16 by 20 inches ) of aluminum foil and parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, wax paper will do just fine. Whatever you do, do not use foil alone.

Lay the parchment on top of the foil and place in your chicken. Drizzle with olive oil, you don't need a lot, and salt and pepper. Don't be shy.

Now, fold the parchment like an envelope, and bring the foil up around it. Seal the edges. You are creating a pocket that keeps in all the juice and keeps things moist. So make sure the sides of both layers come up to make sure juice isn't leaking out.

Oven at 415 (hot!) for 65 minutes. Place your chicken envelope on any kind of baking sheet or pan.

Be careful when opening- have a measuring cup ready so you can pour out all the juice, you will need this for your enchiladas sauce.

Shred chicken up as small as you like, I like to keep it a little chunky.

You will need a 9x13 pan, if you have slightly larger, great, then you won't have to waste.

Ingredients:

Chicken from above steps (makes 2-3 cups)

20-24 oz black or kidney beans, or combo

3/4 lb button mushrooms washed and sliced (don't go nuts rinsing them, they absorb the water like sponges, it's better to just wipe the dirt off)

1 small can black olives. If your kids won't eat the above two ingredients, feel free to omit. Or just put on your side.

6 tortillas. I am a health nut so I get whole wheat ones from trader joes. Do what makes you feel good. Cut tortillas into 3/4 inch strips.

As much shredded cheddar or monterey jack as you want. You could probably go nuts and use 3/4 lb here. I won't judge you.

14 oz canned enchiladas sauce. You can make it from scratch if you're that kind of gal. With kids, I am not.

1 cup cooked rice

Directions:

You can basically layer this how you like. Mix your chicken reserved juice with the enchiladas sauce. This is how I did it:

Sauce on bottom
Tortilla strips
Chicken
Rice sprinkled (you don't have a lot, so don't go crazy here. The rice mostly will absorb the excess sauce.)
beans
mushrooms
cheese
olives

repeat. I only did two layers, you might do three.

Top with cheese. Cilantro if you dig it. Sour cream if you want.

It is a husband and child pleaser. (granted, I do not have picky kids.)

Enjoy!

Flour Tortillas

Flour Tortillas

2 c. flour
½ t. salt
1 heaping ¼ t. baking powder
¼ c. oil
2/3 c. hot water

Mix all ingredients in food processor. Mix until it forms a ball of dough. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Uncover and form until balls of dough just larger than a golf ball. Cover with damp cloth and allow to rest for 15 minutes – 1 hour. Flatten and roll out. Cook on hot skillet flipping when bubbles form.

(I found this recipe at http://everydayfoodstorage.net/. There are also videos of how to make these. I thought these tortillas had really good flavor and were really soft.)

Taco Salad

1 pound Cooked ground beef
2 cans Chili with Beef
1 can tomato soup

Combine in large skillet and heat through.

Serve over corn chips (Fritos are delicious) but regular corn chips work great

Top with:
Cheddar Cheese
tomatoes
lettuce
avacadoes
olives