New Recipe #32: Chicken enchiladas

During JG’s first year of teaching, he gave a test in a geometry class where the correct answer to a question was “Euclidean parallel postulate.”  We assume the student simply took a shot in the dark because the answer on that test read “Enchilada Verbatim.”

Say what?

Ever since, whenever JG and I don’t know an answer, we sarcastically guess, “Enchilada verbatim?!”  It’s funny, trust me.

Anyway, when JG saw what I had planned for dinner last night, he said, “Ooh, you’re making enchiladas verbatim?”  Ha, yes.  Actually, I prefer to think of them as Enchiladas Redemption.  You see, I have not returned to Enchilada Land since the first day of this year, when my first foray resulted in utter failure.  Everyone who had heard about my dismal experience thrust up their eyebrows in surprise — who could screw up enchiladas?  That would be me, thank you very much, and I don’t want to talk about it.

I turned to my faithful America’s Test Kitchen cookbook for enchilada victory; after all, they coyly named their recipe “Easy Chicken Enchiladas,” and the ATK is not flip about words like “easy.”  I put all the ingredients on the shopping list and then promptly forgot about it.

Cut to Tuesday night, when I came home just slightly before JG.  Per his suggestion, I had poached some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a slow cooker all day so that they’d be ready to shred, but I forgot that I still had to make the enchilada sauce.  Oh, and because the store was out of canned chiles, I thought I’d saute some onion and pepper to take its place.  And make Spanish rice!  And grate cheese!  And make salad!  On second thought, this recipe didn’t look easy at all.

Despite eating dinner much later than I expected and creating a disaster zone in the kitchen, the meal turned out to be delicious.  Sure, I forgot to add some sauce to the filling and compensated by slopping more of it down on top, but they were no worse for wear.  JG and I ate our portions in near silence, which I think was due in part to the late hour, but I hope the cheesy, saucy goodness had something to do with it, too. I boxed up four servings each of enchiladas and Spanish rice to replenish our supply of lunches and called it a success.

Next time, I would save this recipe for a day when I had more time on my hands.  It’s a little too involved for a weekday dinner, even if I skipped steps by using bottled sauce and canned chiles.  I’m just relieved that I can incorporate this meal into our rotation and shed the embarrassment of my previous failure.  Hello, Enchilada (Verbatim) Land!

Easy Chicken Enchiladas
America’s Test Kitchen

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Enchilada sauce is sold in cans of various sizes — you’ll need 20 ounces (2 1/2 cups) for this recipe, or try our recipe for Fast Enchilada Sauce (see below).  For mild enchiladas, use one can of green chiles; for spicy enchiladas, use two cans.  Make sure that the cooked chicken is finely shredded or chopped, or else the edges of large pieces will tear through the tortillas.  In addition to the lime wedges, serve these enchiladas with sour cream, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, and Tabasco.

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (1 1/2 pounds)*
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)
• 2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
• 1-2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas**
• Lime wedges (for serving)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the chicken, 2 cups of the cheddar, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, the chiles, and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Stack the tortillas on a microwave-safe place, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds.

3. Spread the warm tortillas out over a clean counter.  Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla.  Tightly roll the tortilla around the filling, then lay seam-side down in a 9×13-inch baking dish lightly coated with vegetable oil spray. [The photo shows a layer of 8 enchiladas on the bottom, and a second row of 4 on top.]

4. Lightly spray the enchiladas with vegetable oil spray.  Pour 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the enchiladas to coat thoroughly.  Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar down the center of the enchiladas. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20-25 minutes.

5. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheddar browns, about 5 minutes longer.  Serve, passing the remaining 1 cup sauce and the lime wedges sparately.

Test Kitchen Tip: Torn Tortillas
Simply rolling the filling in cold tortillas left us with piles of broken and torn enchiladas.  To solve this problem, we warmed the tortillas in the microwave to make them more pliable.  We then sprayed the tops of the enchiladas with vegetable oil, which helped to keep them from splitting when baked.

* To prepare my chicken, I seasoned six boneless, skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper and put them in a slow cooker with some chicken stock, not even enough to cover.  I turned on the slow cooker to Low while I was at work, and the chicken was ready for me when I got home.

** I ended up with 14 enchiladas, so warm up a few extra tortillas just in case.

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Fast Enchilada Sauce
America’s Test Kitchen

Makes: about 2 1/2 cups
Start to Finish: 15 minutes

Although all brands of canned enchilada sauce we tried were passable, homemade is always best, and in this instance it’s quick, too.  Strain the sauce if you want a smooth, authentic enchilada sauce. [I did this.]

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• Pepper

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chili powder, garlic, cumin, and sugar.  Cook until fragrant, about 15 minutes.  Stir in the tomato sauce and water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.