Mmm... Enchiladas

I was trying to think of something new to make for dinner, and I came across Tyler Florence's recipe for Chicken Enchiladas. I had never made one of his recipes before but it had 5 star reviews and it seemed easy enough for a Monday night, so I gave it a shot and was not disappointed. I can't say it was the most amazing dinner ever, but it was good. Scott even ate two of them which is kind of unusual since he isn't a big eater. I did change some things just because of preference and lack of wanting to buy ingredients just for this recipe, but I'll tell you that at the end. Well, I'll get to the point; here is the recipe.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder - didn't use
  
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder - didn't use
  
• 1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
• 1 red onion, chopped -used Vidalia
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced - didn't have on hand
  
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced - didn't use
  
• 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes - didn't use
  
• 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 16 corn tortillas - used flour tortillas instead
  
• 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned (I bought Chipotle Sauce)
  
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
• Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

*So, as I said earlier I didn't use everything and made some substitutions. I didn't have some of the spices, and I didn't want to buy them so I just went without. The taco seasoning I used still tasted great. I like Vidalia onions better, and they were on sale, so I went that route. I also didn't buy garlic since we're on a budget. (I didn't miss it at all, but if this were Italian it would be a different story.) Another cost cutter led me to ditch the chipotle peppers and buy the Kroger brand "gourmet" chipotle enchilada sauce in a jar as opposed to the normal kind in a can. I was happy I did this because I don't like too many chunky vegetables in things. I also bought the pre-diced peppers. I took out the tomatoes and added refried beans in their place (I don't like tomatoes.) And last, I bought flour tortillas because I don't like corn tortillas. Now that I have totally modified the recipe, on to the directions. (I did like my way though!)*

Directions

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. **I put some in a pie pan and "dunked" the shells in it. This worked well.** Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. **I may have added a little more cheese than recommended. (I like cheese alot.)

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

There you have it. It's super easy and highly recommended for a really fast and tasty dinner.