I decided to take on the challenge of making enchiladas that he would like. These might do the trick.
Great success.
He literally devoured these. I thought I was going to lose my hand reaching for seconds. I took out all the things he didn't like in traditional enchiladas (Corn tortillas and pre-made enchilada. Boy doesn't like cornbread either. Again, I KNOW.)
I served these with a bit of homemade pico de gallo that I pulled together from the stuff I had in my fridge, and he devoured that too.
I love pico de gallo, maybe even more than I love salsa. It's just so pretty. Here's a good recipe if you've never made it before: http://allrecipes.com/
Just spoon it over the enchiladas. It's tots amaze. My husband has threatened me with duct tape if I don't stop saying the word, "tots", as in "totally."
Let's get going, because I'm already getting hungry again.
First get some chicken together. And not the boneless, skinless breasts, but thighs and drumsticks. About six of them. Or go full throttle and get an entire cut-up fryer chicken. Now is the time to go big or go home. Place your chicken in a big pot, and add a pinch of salt.
My chicken is golden. It's emitting yummy rays. Now fill the pot with enough water to cover up the chicken.
That is quite an action shot. I am obviously a genius photographer.
Cover, bring the water to boil, and then let it simmer for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, cut the jalapeno in half and seed it.
Now dice the halves up. And DO NOT touch your eyes without washing very thoroughly. I do this every time I'm around jalapenos. It's like my eyeballs have jalapeno juice magnets in them.
Get out your medium onion.
Please don't judge my dicing. It's terrible and I'm embarrassed, but dicing is scary. And I have no hand-eye coordination. Make me proud.
Your chicken should be done by now.
That is not so pretty. Thankfully, it gets better.
I'm glad someone likes my cooking.
On a side note, I inadvertently bought the most wonderful paper towels. They are not indestructible or soak up a ton of icky, but I never want to buy a different roll of paper towels ever again.
Magical.
Back to the enchiladas. Take 3 small cans of green chile and dice them up. I happen to have roasted green chile that we smuggled from New Mexico, which works amazingly. It should absolutely be illegal, like cocaine. During green chile season, the entire state goes out of control. It's a very dangerous time.
Pick your heat carefully. That is not for the faint of taste buds.
Heat up two tablespoons of canola oil in a skillet, and dump in your onions and jalapenos. Stir them around and let them cook for only about a minute, just to get the heating process started.
Now add the shredded chicken, half of the green chiles, and half the paprika.
This is so exciting. Now you can add that chicken broth.
Just a half cup, and stir it around.
Your kitchen smells amazing right now, I promise you. Now you can add the heavy cream. I imagine that you're resisting the idea of heavy cream. Do it. I did, because I'm a naughty girl and naughty girls have all the fun.
Naughty.
Stir it in, and let it bubble up, get hot, and reduce a bit.
I almost threw in the towel right then and there and ate this with a fork. But I didn't, because I'm not that naughty.
Get out your tortillas. Feel free to use corn ones, just make sure to soften them over a bit of oil in a heated skillet. Otherwise they crack and that's just yuck.
Now we make the creamy enchilada sauce. And this part is magical, if I do say so myself. It's time for butter.
Just a dab.
Add a bit of flour.
Stir it in with a whisk, because otherwise you will get little chunks. Using a whisk ensures your little mixture will be smooth and delightful. Now you can pour in the remaining chicken broth. Stir it in real nice-like.
Throw in the green chile and stir that in too. At this point, it's a good idea to switch to a spatula or wooden spoon. I didn't do that, because I'm a space cadet. Do as I say, not as I do.
Once that's stirred in, add the sour cream. It'll melt a bit, and you get the job of mixing it into the sauce. Life is terrible.
Once it's nice and mixed, it should look like something from your dreams.
Have we met before? Your creaminess looks familiar.
Perhaps we should add some paprika, salt, and pepper to jog my memory.
Throw in some cayenne pepper if you're feeling adventurous. Stir that in.
I love cheese. Allow me to demonstrate.
I thought this sauce was missing something.
Clearly, every recipe needs a big honkin' pile of cheese.
Set that aside. Grab a tortilla and fill it with the corn mixture.
Maybe some more cheese would be a good idea.
Yes, that was a good idea. Now roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in a casserole dish or pan.
That is just sad. We should fix the problem.
Like piggies wrapped in blankets. I plan to be a piggie later with this dish.
Cover the enchiladas with the sauce. Use all of it. Don't be shy.
Throw some more cheese on there if you feel like it. Don't beat yourself up. Just let it happen.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until you just can't stand it anymore.
Ohhhhhhhhh...
Hooray! Now you can carefully cut it up and put it on your plate. Or, if you're like me, jab a spatula into the middle of the pan, shovel out some tortillas, drag it across the table, spilling all the way, and chuck it onto your plate. Not pretty, but highly effective.
Add some pico de gallo, if you feel so inclined. Or salsa or hot sauce or nothing. It's time to spread your wings.
The leftovers lasted less than half a day. Oh, and the whole thing about G.I. Joe not liking enchiladas?
That was his plate.
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
-2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
-2 cups of chicken broth
-3 tablespoons of canola oil
-7 medium flour tortillas
-1 whole onion, diced
-12 oz of green chile, fresh roasted or canned
-1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
-1 teaspoon of paprika (cayenne pepper is optional)
-1/2 cup of heavy cream
-2 tablespoons of butter
-2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
-1 cup of sour cream
-2 1/2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese
-Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Place the chicken in a pot and cover with water. Cover the pot, and put on high heat to boil, then lower to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot, and shred. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet, and add the diced onion and jalapeno. Stir and cook for one minute, then add the shredded chicken, half of the chiles and half of the paprika. Stir and cook for two more minutes. Add in 1/2 cup of chicken broth, and let the mixture cook for several minutes. Pour in the heavy cream, mix in, and allow the chicken mixture to heat up and bubble, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
3. In another skillet, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the flour and gently blend together with a whisk. Pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cup of chicken broth, mixing into the flour mixture. Add remaining green chiles and mix in. Put the sour cream into the sauce, and use a spatula to distribute into thoroughly blended. Sprinkle on paprika, salt, and pepper, as well as cheese, and stir until spices are incorporated and cheese is melted. Set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Hold a tortilla in one hand, and use a spoon to put a helping of the chicken mixture on top. Add some cheese, roll up the tortilla, and place seam side down in the dish. Continue with remaining tortillas and chicken.
5. Pour the cheese sauce over the tortillas, and sprinkle with a small amount of shredded cheese, if desired.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until edges are golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a spatula, separating the tortillas. Garnish with pico de gallo, salsa, or cilantro.
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