FoodB

Taco Bell has a set of commercials on TV right now selling their new enchilada burrito's. I find them very funny because if you put all of the filling and sauce inside of a flour tortilla, I would just call it a burrito. They are trying to convince me that somehow it is an enchilada and a burrito because they put a tomato based sauce inside of a regular burrito. Nice try.

But all those ads did do one thing, it made me really crave the chicken enchiladas my wife makes. We got the recipe out of one of our Cook's Illustrated books and it actually makes me forget that I prefer beef enchiladas. While she was cooking them this time around I was shocked to find out that I had yet to put the recipe up here. So without further delay here it is.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Sauce and Filling
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil or corn oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt
2 tsp granulated sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Tortillas and Toppings
10 corn tortillas (six-inch)
Vegetable cooking spray
3 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)

1. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Spray the tortillas with cooking spray and arrange on a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 4 minutes and remove to a plate to cool. Note: this step helps the tortillas to become flexible and easier to work with. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees when the tortillas are done.
3. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with spices, about 30 seconds.
6. Add tomato sauce and 1/4 cup water; stir to separate chicken pieces. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes.
7. Pour mixture through medium-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside. Transfer chicken mixture to large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine with cilantro, jalapenos, and cheese in medium bowl and set aside.
8. Smear entire bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 3/4 cup chili sauce.
9. Place 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla.
10. Roll each tortilla tightly by hand and place in baking dish, side by side, seam-side down.
11. Pour remaining chili sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce so it coats top of each tortilla.
12. Sprinkle 1/4 cup grated cheese down center of enchiladas.
13. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately.

This time around, Jennifer used chiken breasts instead of thighs. The results are still good but I think the dark meat of the thighs adds a really distict flavor that you just can't get out of white meat. Just my opinion though.

From reading the recipe online, they also say that you can substitute monterey jack for the cheddar and it will make the flavor a little creamier. We'll have to try that. Also the sauce is really good. Enchiladas were a staple of my childhood diet and I always loved the sauce my parents used. In the last few years the company that makes it started tweaking with the flavor and I had been looking for a good enchilada sauce ever since.