Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas with Green Chili Sauce

Jalapeño Peppers

By Cat, Mar 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: 1. Vegetarian & Bean Menu; 2. Casseroles & One-Dish Meals Menu; 3. Ethnic Foods Menu; 4. Chile Sauce: Red or Green;

I did not grow up knowing about chiles; I discovered them after moving to Portland Oregon after graduate school, when I found the small Mexican food cafes were inexpensive and surprisingly delicious.

My Portland friends Kevvyne and Jon L. spend many winters in Mexico now that they are retired, and they love the native food there. Kev shared her recipes for Red or Green Chile sauce as well as this recipe for Enchiladas with me. It is the tomatillos and green chiles that give the sauce its color.

Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

This recipe is halved and adapted from Kev’s recipes for the enchiladas and the green chile sauce. I’ve not yet tested this, but I know it will be perfect. However, I prefer to use brined kalamata olives or other old-world olives, instead of canned California black olives; brined olives are lacto-fermented which makes them much more healthful. (As opposed to California olives, which are initially fermented, but then the brine is replaced with vinegar before canning the olives).

Ingredients & Equipment:

• 2 recipes Green Chili Sauce, divided portions
• 2 chicken breast halves
• ½ small onion, or 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 small carrot, sliced
• Unrefined sea salt (if you don’t brine the chicken) and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (4 oz), divided, preferably from raw milk
• 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
• ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small can chopped black olives (I prefer to use brined black olives such as kalamatas)
• 8 corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch size)
• Pico de Gallo (fresh salsa, for optional garnish)
• Equipment:
• 2- or 3-quart saucepan
• small serving bowl
• 9 x 13″ baking dish

Method:

1. Prep: Brine chicken breasts for 30 minutes; drain and rinse.
2. Prepare chili sauce; keep warm.
3. Chop onion and slice carrot.  Place in saucepan with brined chicken breasts. Bring to boil, then season with pepper and simmer 20 minutes until cooked through. (If you didn’t brine the breasts, season the cooking water also with salt)
4. Drain chicken.  Remove skin and bones.  Shred chicken meat into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add ½ cup grated cheese, all of the sour cream, the chopped onion and olives and mix well.
6. Assemble & Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease baking dish with lard or coconut oil.
7. Heat a bit of olive oil in a cast iron skillet; soften each tortilla in the hot oil, just long enough to soften but not crisp. Spread each tortilla with a bit of the chili sauce, (reserving the enough to cover the enchiladas in the baking dish). Add a portion of the chicken/cheese filling. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat until all tortillas have been filled.
8. Pour enough remaining sauce over to cover well.  Sprinkle remaining ½ cup shredded cheese over all.
9. Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with lettuce and tomato salad with Taco Sauce for the dressing; garnish enchiladas with a dollop of sour cream, and Pico de Gallo.
• You can also add avocado slices, olives and hot sauce as garnish.

References:

1. Kevynne L.’s recipe collection