Chicken Enchiladas

Growing up in California, one acquires a taste for Mexican food early on.  Hearty, mildly spicy enchiladas with a fresh sprinkling of piquant cilantro over melted cheese are true comfort food to me.  Nearby avocado orchards make guacamole a cinch to mash up.  And with truly high quality bottled enchilada sauces available from grocery stores like Trader Joe’s, there’s no need to go to all the trouble of making your own–even though normally I’m an advocate for everything homemade.  Though the process of making enchiladas can be on the messy side, once they’re in that casserole dish, a celebratory Cinco de Mayo dinner is as simple as popping ‘em in the oven.  Though, once prepared, they can sit in the fridge for up to a day, once you make a tray you’ll be hollering “Andale, andale!” so you can sink your fork down into one of these enchiladas. 

Chicken Enchiladas 

Ingredients

4       boneless skinless chicken breasts

1       teaspoon cumin

2       bay leaves

1       teaspoon ground coriander

1       teaspoon kosher salt

½      teaspoon pepper

2       (12 ounce) bottles of prepared enchilada sauce

½      cup green bell pepper, finely diced

½      cup red bell pepper, finely diced

½      cup yellow onion, diced

1       tablespoon olive oil

2       (4 ounce) cans of hatch green chiles, chopped

2       cups shredded cheddar cheese

½      cup minced cilantro

¼      cup chopped scallions

12     (6 inch) blue corn tortillas

Add the chicken breasts, cumin, bay leaves, coriander, salt, and the pepper to a large saucepan and cover with water to a depth of 3 inches.  Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Allow the chicken to simmer until it’s tender and completely cooked, about 20 minutes.  Drain the cooking liquid, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to cool slightly.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet set over medium heat and add the green bell pepper and the onion.  Sauté the vegetables until tender, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.  Using a fork, thoroughly shred the chicken.  Add the green chiles, the sautéed vegetables, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ cup of the cilantro and 1 cup of enchilada sauce, mixing to combine.  Meanwhile, heat the rest of the enchilada sauce in a side sauté pan set over low heat.  Working one at a time, dip the tortillas into the sauce to coat each side and warm each tortilla through, until soft and pliable.  Set aside on a plate.  To assemble, scoop approximately ⅓ cup of the shredded chicken mixture into the prepared tortillas and roll it up.  Place, seam side down, in a greased 13×9 casserole dish.  Assemble all the enchiladas until the dish is filled.  Scrape any remaining enchilada sauce over the tops of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes, until the enchiladas are completely heated through and the cheese is melted.  Garnish with scallions and the remaining chopped cilantro.