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Grammy's Green Tomatillo + Chicken Enchiladas

Source of Recipe

From "Little Foodie" by Michele Olivier


Recipe Introduction

"When we go to Grammy's house (yes, that'd be my mom's) for dinner, she usually ends up making her chicken enchiladas — the dish Ellie and I request the most. These simple enchiladas are an example of why sometimes less is actually more. What takes these humble enchiladas to the next level is my mom's homemade sauce, made from fresh green tomatillos. The result is a simply delicious, deeply flavored meal enjoyable to all generations."

List of Ingredients

For the enchiladas:
â—¦ Cooking spray
â—¦ 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
â—¦ Salt (as seasoning, plus 1 teaspoon)
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ â…“ cup half-and-half
â—¦ 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
â—¦ 1 small onion, finely chopped
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
â—¦ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
â—¦ Pinch cayenne pepper
â—¦ 8 (8-inch) corn or flour tortillas
â—¦ ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
â—¦ ¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
â—¦ 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (for serving)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons sour cream (for serving)
â—¦ 1 tomato, chopped (for serving)

For the enchilada sauce:
â—¦ 12 tomatillos, husked
â—¦ 4 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
â—¦ 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
â—¦ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and bake on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Let cool and shred.

In a large bowl, mix the half-and-half and the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the chicken, onion, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring tomatillos, peppers, and chicken broth to a boil for 10 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of cold water. Add cornstarch, salt, and cilantro to the boiling broth, and let boil for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool slightly.

In a blender or food processor, add tomatillo sauce and purée until smooth. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and pour a thin layer of tomatillo sauce into the dish.

Heat tortillas in batches in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, or until easy to wrap. On each tortilla, spoon ½ cup of the chicken in a line down the center. Gently roll and place in the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat until all of the tortillas and chicken mixture is used up. Spoon the remaining tomatillo sauce over the tortillas.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot throughout. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cheeses, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and a few tomato chunks.


Makes 6 servings