Chicken Enchiladas

  I got the recipe for these enchiladas out of The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.  It recommended using their recipe for homemade enchilada sauce, which was really yummy.  I had quit making enchiladas because most canned enchilada sauces contain gluten, and I always thought doing it homemade would be too difficult.  This recipe was really simple and the enchiladas turned out really good.  I served them with Spanish Rice, Refried Beans and Fruit - successful dinner that everyone liked!

Chicken Enchiladas (Serves 6)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 3)
salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (recipe below)
1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese (I used feta)
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6") soft corn tortillas
Vegetable oil spray
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Combine the chicken and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, 10-15 minutes.  When the sauce is simmering, flip the chicken over, cover, and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it into bite sized pieces when cool enough to handle.  Combine the chicken, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, feta, chiles, and cilantro in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover to keep warm while heating the tortillas.
4. Lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with vegetable oil spray.  Place 6 tortillas onto a baking sheet and bake until the tortillas are soft and pliable, 2-4 minutes. (*This is very important with the corn tortillas - otherwise they will be dry and will just crack and break when rolled - this made it SO easy!)
5. Working quickly while the tortillas are still warm and pliable, spread them out over a clean counter.  Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla.  Tightly roll each torilla around the filling and lay them, seam-side down, in a 9X13 inch baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
6. Pour 1 cup more sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the cheddar.  Cover the baking dish with aluminum  foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, about 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer.  Serve with the remaining sauce separately.


Red Enchilada Sauce (makes 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. canola oil
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. sugar
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  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.