Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

My husband loves Salsa Verde, also known as green sauce or tomatillo salsa. And even though I have not been blogging, I have been cooking. He loved this so much that we had it twice in one week.

As always, read the entire recipe before starting. This may seem like a great deal of work, but it isn’t. In fact, this is an easy recipe. You can follow my recipe exactly, or you can tweak it to your liking. Here are my suggestions for changes.

I find it easier to slice the chicken if it is still a little frozen. Not so frozen that it is still hard, but frozen enough that it holds it shape when you slice it. This makes it easier for you to ensure that the slices are the same size. Just make sure that you cook the chicken completely.

If you don’t want to make your own salsa (which I completely understand) just use your favorite. We like Frontera. But honestly, Old El Paso isn’t bad at all.

You can control the amount of heat in this recipe through the type of Ro-Tel and the type of cheese you use. Original Ro-Tel is a little spicy. You can use ‘mild’ if you don’t want any heat or ‘hot’ if you like more spice. I used Cabot Habanero cheese on top, because we love hot. You can use pepper jack for less heat or cheddar for none at all.

You can probably find Cotija cheese at your grocery store. It crumbles in chunks, like feta. However, it is milder than feta, but saltier. It doesn’t melt. You can use some Cotija crumbles on top of the enchiladas as a garnish and to add a different texture and a burst of salty goodness.

I served this with a side of refried black beans and Spanish rice. (I don’t make any money from this blog.)

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Servings: 10 enchiladas
Time:  Prep: 15 minutes; Cooking:  30 minutes, Enchiladas in about 45 minutes
Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring cups & spoons, a can opener, a large (10 in) skillet, tongs,  plates for prep, paper towels, 13 x 9 in glass baking dish.

 Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• ½ a small onion cut into strips (2-4 oz)
• ½ a small, diced bell pepper  (2-4 oz)
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 2 ½ cups of salsa verde -buy your favorite or make your own
• 1 can (10 oz) Ro-Tel tomatoes drained
• 1 package (10) 6-inch flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• Oil for the skillet
• Cooking spray
• Salt and pepper
• Optional for garnish: Sliced green onions, Cotija (white, crumbly Mexican cheese), sour cream, and cilantro.

1.  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray. Cut up the chicken, peppers and onions. Liberally salt the chicken. Dice the cream cheese. Drain the Ro-tel. Set everything aside
2.  Add a little oil to the skillet, sauté the onions and bell pepper over medium-high heat until they are to your liking. I usually like mine very crunchy but cook them longer for enchiladas. Place them on a plate. Do not wipe out the skillet. Add the chicken and sauté, flipping it over occasionally, until it is no longer pink in center. This should take about 7-8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and return the turn the peppers to the pan. Stir in the cream cheese and the Ro-tel. Stir until the cream cheese is melted. Remove from the heat.
3. Add enough salsa verde to the glass pan to coat the bottom. This will take no more than 2-3 tablespoons.
4. Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with a damp paper towel.  Heat these in the microwave for 30 seconds. Spoon 1/10^th of the chicken mixture onto a tortilla, roll it up, and place seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat until you have used up all of the filling. Pour the salsa verde over the enchiladas. Sprinkle them with cheese. Bake until the salsa is bubbling, and the cheese has melted. Ovens vary, but this usually takes me about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to monitor.  Let the dish stand for 5 minutes before serving.
5. To plate, place 2 enchiladas onto a dish. Top with sliced green onions, a little Cotija, sour cream, and a little cilantro.