Dishfunctional Designs: enchiladas

Thursday, October 28, 2021

What To Do With Leftover Chili? Make Amazing Enchiladas!

The other night I asked on my Facebook page, "What do you do with leftover chili?"

The suggestions rolled in! Judy said, "There's no such thing as leftover chili + it's better the second opportunity," and I completely agree! But this was third round chili, and I can never bear to waste anything, even if we're sick of it.

Kristin suggested taco salad or over baked potatoes, and both sounded like great options as well, especially the taco salad since I love Mexican and southwestern style food, but I had the idea of enchiladas in mind...plus, by that point I had already started frying my corn tortillas!

Sharon suggested chili dogs with cheese, another great idea! Michelle said she enjoys it over pasta, and Diane suggested chili pie (hmmm that sound interesting, I might have to look into that idea another time.) Kit said, "In a wrap or over homemade mac and cheese." Yum.

Still, Kindra suggested something I had never heard of, she said, "I take a French bread loaf, cut in half and lengthwise. Toast them lightly, layer chili and shredded cheddar on top, put in 325 oven until cheese melts. So good!" I agree, that sounds great!

But, I had already fried my tortillas so enchiladas it was going to be!
I needed to create something with what I had on hand and I always have a variety of cheeses and I always have a ton of corn tortillas!

I heated about 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a small fry pan on medium high heat and carefully fried 8 small corn tortillas for about 15 seconds on each side, then placed them on a plate between paper towels to soak up any extra oil.

I shredded about 1 & 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese and then heated my pre-made chili in the microwave for just a minute or two to get the chill out of it.

I sliced a fresh jalapeno (another one of my fridge staples) and then organized my workstation, as shown below. Once my tortillas were finished frying I preheated my oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, sprayed a medium-small sized casserole dish with cooking spray, and got to work.

Working on a large plate and making them one at a time, I put about 3 T of cheese and 2 T of chili in the center of each tortilla, then wrapped the sides over each other to roll them up. Then I placed them seam-side down in my casserole dish. Once they were all assembled, I put whatever chili was left on top of them, along with the rest of the cheese (and some extra because I love cheese) and then topped with the sliced jalapenos.

I baked them in the 425F oven uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese was melted and bubbly. I served them with some hot sauce and sour cream.

The were AMAZING! The tortillas were perfectly crispy (I love that) and if I were to change anything, next time I might add a bit more spice to the chili before assembling them, and also maybe switch out some of the cheddar for some Monterey jack.

All in all, these were a complete success; fast and simple to make and I highly recommend trying them yourself!

Have a great weekend!
Laura

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Article copyright Laura Beth Love 2021 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link updates or corrections leave correct info in comment area.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Enchiladas Suizas Recipe

Hands down, Enchiladas Suizas is one of my all time favorite recipes. Creamy, cheesy, and mouth-wateringly delicious, this recipe combines tender shredded chicken with mild cheeses and green chiles for an enchilada that will quickly become a family favorite.

In a pinch you can switch out the cooked chicken for a precooked rotisserie chicken, but be sure to use corn tortillas and not flour, and don't skip frying the tortillas!

This recipe is easy to make and when I make them, I make a lot, since they disappear quickly, so I use a large casserole dish.

Ingredients:

To cook the chicken you will need:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 Tablespoons butter or olive oil

To make the salsa verde sauce you will need:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons flour

4 cloves garlic, pressed/minced

32 ounce chicken stock, homemade or store bought

8 ounces canned green chiles

1 & 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 dash cayenne pepper

To fry the tortillas you will need:

Canola oil

15 white corn tortillas (about 6" diameter)

To complete the recipe you will need:

1 & 1/2 cups Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup shredded Mild White Cheddar Cheese

1 cup heavy cream

4 green onions, chopped

Optional: 1 thinly sliced jalapeno pepper

Directions:

If using large, thick chicken breasts, cut them into smaller pieces before cooking to shorten cooking time and for ease of shredding later.

Cook the chicken breasts in 2 T of olive oil or butter in a large pan on medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until they begin to turn white. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then turn chicken over to cook other side. Cover and allow the chicken to cook on medium low heat for another 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Then turn the stove down to low heat, and allow chicken to cook in its juices with the lid on while you prepare the salsa verde sauce. This additional time cooking will allow your chicken to become nice and tender.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the 2 Tablespoons of butter and then add the chopped onion, stirring to coat. Put the lid on the pan and turn to medium low, stirring occasionally, cooking until onion is soft.

Add the minced garlic and stir to combine, cooking for another two minutes to allow the garlic to slightly soften.

Add the 3 Tablespoons of flour and mix to combine.

Slowly add the chicken broth about one cup at a time, whisking to combine. Once all chicken broth has been incorporated, next add the (undrained) green chiles. Add the salt and cumin and allow to simmer and thicken for 10 to 15 minutes while you shred the chicken.

Use to forks to shred the chicken, or do as I do and place chicken pieces in upright mixer and very briefly mix for a few moments until shredded.

Shred the cheeses, toss together to combine, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit

Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and put a ladle of sauce (about 1/2 cup) at the bottom of the casserole and spread it around. Set aside while you fry the tortillas.

Assemble a frying station for frying the tortillas:

Have a plate with many paper towels ready for when you take the tortillas out of the hot oil. You will place a paper towel in between each fried tortilla to help absorb excess oil.

Heat 2-3 Tablespoons canola oil in a heavy, medium-sized frypan. Once oil is shimmery and hot, add one tortilla at a time and fry for 10 to 20 seconds per side, until tortilla just begins to become slightly golden in spots. Then remove tortilla from pan and place on plate on paper towel. Repeat with each tortilla. Do not overcook the tortillas.

Assemble a station for filling and rolling the enchiladas: Put a ladle or two of sauce into a one-cup liquid measuring cup with a tablespoon and have the chicken, cheeses, tortillas, and a plate ready to work on.

Set one cup of the cheeses aside to use as a topping before baking.

Working one at a time, place a fried tortilla on the plate and add about 2 tablespoons of cheese, 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken, and one to two teaspoons of sauce in the center of the tortilla. Fold one side of the tortilla over the filling and then fold the other side over the filling and holding it closed, place the enchilada seam-side down in your casserole dish. Repeat with each tortilla until they are all filled. If you have any of the chicken left after filling all of the tortillas, just tuck it in around the enchiladas in the pan.

Pour the rest of the salsa verde sauce over the enchiladas.

Pour the heavy cream over the salsa verde.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of the enchiladas and then top with chopped green onions. Optional: For extra spice, add a thinly sliced jalapeno pepper on top of the green onions.

Bake uncovered in 350 oven for 35 minutes or until all of the cheese has melted and casserole begins bubble around edges. Remove from oven and serve with refried beans and fresh pico de gallo. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.