Email to Cat      

Mexican: Enchiladas Verdes

Source of Recipe

From "The Mexican Home Kitchen" by Mely Martínez


Recipe Introduction

"These enchiladas are filled with chicken, bathed in a creamy salsa verde and covered with cheese, before being baked in the oven. The melted Swiss cheese on top is what sets these enchiladas apart from others, which are usually garnished with crumbled cheeses. A beautiful and decadent dish, these enchiladas verdes are also known in Mexico by the name enchiladas Suizas, meaning Swiss enchiladas."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 12 ounces tomatillos (about 8 medium tomatillos), husks removed
â—¦ 2 serrano peppers or one jalapeño pepper
â—¦ 1 clove garlic
â—¦ â…› medium white onion
â—¦ 4 cups water
â—¦ ½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
â—¦ ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
â—¦ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
â—¦ 12 corn tortillas
â—¦ 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
â—¦ Salt and pepper, to taste
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
â—¦ 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Garnishing and to Serve:
â—¦ ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
â—¦ Chopped fresh cilantro


Recipe

Place the tomatillos, peppers, garlic, onion, and water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for about 15 minutes, until the tomatillos are cooked. Allow the ingredients to cool, then remove them from the saucepan using a slotted spoon and place them in the blender, along with 1 cup of the cooking water. Blend until smooth. Add the Mexican crema and the cilantro to the blender, and blend again until all ingredients are a uniform texture. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using a pair of kitchen tongs, dip the tortillas, one at a time, into the oil to soften them. They only need to be in the oil for a few seconds per side (aside from softening them for easy rolling, this prevents the tortillas from breaking apart). Transfer the tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and onion and garlic powders. Spread about a third of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 11-inch baking dish.

To assemble the enchiladas, place some chicken on a tortilla, close to one edge, and roll it up to form an enchilada. Place the enchilada, seam side down, in the baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas and chicken, until the baking dish is filled with a layer of the rolled enchiladas. Cover the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce, then sprinkle on the cheese.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese starts to turn golden brown. Garnish with the sliced onion and the cilantro, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings




Notes:

• To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this dish.

• Instead of passing the tortillas through the oil, you can brush them with oil, then warm them in a skillet. This method uses less oil.

• Instead of Swiss cheese, you can use Muenster or Monterey Jack, or any combination of these. You can also used sliced cheese instead of shredded cheese.

• Serve the enchiladas with Mexican crema or sour cream, drizzling it over the enchiladas to cool down the spiciness of the salsa.

• The enchiladas can be prepared ahead of time, covered tightly, and stored in the refrigerator for two days until you're ready to bake them in Step 5. Just make sure that you use a good-quality tortilla that won't break apart in the sauce.