Kat's Version of Chicken Enchiladas
We love these. I cant find enchilada sauce here in French Polynesia so these work great for us when we just have to have some enchilada. Enjoy!
We love these. I cant find enchilada sauce here in French Polynesia so these work great for us when we just have to have some enchilada. Enjoy!
- salt to taste
- for the sauce:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 15 corn tortillas (i brought these back with me too, they were in the freezer)
- 6 6-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (up to 8 ounces)
- 1 bay leaf dried is fine
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano (dried is fine too)
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 teaspoons hot cayenne pepper sauce several drops
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon about 2 pinches
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 1/2 cups monterey jack shredded cheese ( used a version of cheddar, which is hard to come by here)
- Carbohydrate 1613.6062925 g
- Cholesterol 878.34 mg
- Fat 208.3859025 g
- Fiber 271.952680414379 g
- Protein 560.02453 g
- Saturated Fat 81.158171 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (10558g)
- Sodium 36018.1375 mg
- Sugar 1341.65361208562 g
- Trans Fat 21.723781 g
- Calories 10105 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F
- Wrap corn tortillas in foil and warm in oven. Bring broth to a boil in large saute pan. Set chicken into broth with bay, oregano, and onion. Return to boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Poach chicken in this broth mixture for about 15 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Remove chicken breasts with the onion to a bowl and shred with 2 forks. Add 3/4 cup of cooking liquid, tomato paste, spices and salt. Work through the chicken using the forks.
- Combine all sauce ingredients and heat through, keeping warm until needed.
- Remove tortillas from oven and set broiler to high.
- Pile chicken mixture into warm corn tortillas and roll. Line casserole dish with enchiladas, seam side down. When your are done pour hot tomato sauce over the enchiladas and top with cheese. Place in hot oven about 6 inches from broiler and broil for approximately 5 minutes until cheese is melted and enchiladas are set. Serve.
- For the beans.............I just added water and microwaved them for 4 minutes. They were excellent with the Chicken Enchiladas.............Enjoy!!
While traditional enchiladas rely on rolled tortillas fried individually in oil to prevent sogginess, this method steams them inside foil before assembly and finishes the entire casserole under the broiler. Standard red chile sauces often demand dried pods, but this variation builds a rich base by combining chicken poaching liquid directly with tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. When wrapping the fifteen corn tortillas in foil for the 275 degrees Fahrenheit oven, ensure the packet is completely sealed so the edges do not dry out and crack during rolling. Freezing assembled enchiladas requires omitting the dairy layer until thawing, as shredded Monterey Jack separates and turns grainy if subjected to ice crystals and subsequent reheating.
Judging Doneness Without a Thermometer
Poaching chicken breasts in simmering broth for fifteen minutes demands careful attention to physical cues rather than relying solely on a timer. Piercing the thickest part of the meat with the tip of a paring knife reveals whether the juices run completely clear rather than pink. Pulling the six boneless breasts apart with two forks should yield tender strands that easily absorb three-quarters of a cup of the reserved cooking liquid without becoming watery. Broiling the finished casserole six inches from the heat source for approximately five minutes melts the cheese and bubbles the sauce around the edges, signaling that the interior has heated through without overcooking the delicate corn wrappers.
- If the tortillas split while rolling, warm them for an additional two minutes in their foil pouch.
- Should the tomato sauce taste too sharp, balance the acidity with a pinch of extra cinnamon or a tiny drop of additional cayenne sauce.
- Drain excess liquid from the shredded chicken mixture before filling the tortillas to prevent a soggy casserole dish.
