Sunday, January 2, 2011

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

*I made this tonight for dinner for some friends in the ward, and it was a big hit.  It was really tasty!
INGREDIENTS
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa:
1 lb. tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 jalapenos, stems removed
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
fresh cilantro, chopped (to taste)
1 3 lb. chicken (rotisserie or boil your own to make the broth), boned and meat shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 large whole wheat flour tortillas, warmed
8 oz. Monterey Jack and/or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

sour cream, for serving
shredded lettuce, for serving
Roma tomatoes, diced for serving
avocado or guacamole, for serving
fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Spread tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapenos on the prepared baking tray. Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cool slightly before transferring roasted vegetables and their juices to a blender or food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse until well combined but still slightly chunky. 

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for another minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until a thick paste forms. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and simmer until thickened. Remove from the heat and add half of the roasted tomatillo salsa, a handful of fresh cilantro, and fold in the shredded chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread a little of the reserved salsa in the bottom of the baking dish.

5. To assemble the enchiladas, put a scoop of the filling inside each warmed tortilla and sprinkle with some shredded cheese. Roll up and place in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining salsa over top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

6. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and avocado.

Serves 6.

3 comments:

  1. from Lorena: WOW that looks good. Now off to search if there is a store here that sells tomatillos and monterey jack.

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  2. I called you last night to see if they were good. It sounds like they were a success, so I'm glad I already bought the ingredients for them! Was it good with the canned chilies or do you think it will be better with an actual jalapeno?

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  3. I made these tonight and I made one mistake I immediately regretted: I added the jalapeno without scraping out the seeds first. I thought by only using ONE jalapeno that it wouldn't be spicy but I was wrong. Despite that, Brian really liked them and my house smelled super good after roasting the veggies. If I make these again I would omit the jalapeno and just do what Andrea did and add a can of diced green chilies. Lorena, if you want me to send you any tomatillos, I am happy to do it--they don't have to be refrigerated or anything so they should be fine to send this time of year.

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