Food Friday!: Mama's Green Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

Food Friday!: Mama's Green Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

Several years ago, around the lunch table at work, an interesting question was presented to me (thanks Jagbirder Judy!): If I were on a deserted island and I could eat any meal of my choice for every meal while stuck on that island, what would it be? My answer?? My mama's Green Sauce Chicken Enchiladas. To say I love this recipe is an understatement. It has become my "go to" recipe for when I take meals to families and I was even introduced to some new people at church by a friend who had received one of my meals as the person "who makes the best enchiladas!" (Thanks Amy!). I was even so bold as to take a Mexican friend my enchiladas after she had her baby. Boy, was I glad that you enjoyed them Mexico Morris! I couldn't believe it when you asked me for the recipe! :) Alas, your baby girl is now over a year old, and I have just now finally gotten around to posting it as a Food Friday post.

Chicken not pictured :)

 Ingredients

1 cooked chicken, shredded
2 cans green enchilada sauce
8-10 flour tortillas
3/4 cup Mexican cheese, shredded (plus a little to garnish top)
1 can diced green chiles
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Oil (for frying tortillas)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour half a can of sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13" pan.

Add the other half of a can of sauce to the shredded chicken (roughly 4 cups), the 3/4 cup of shredded cheese, the finely chopped onion, and 1/2-3/4 of the can of diced green chiles (I use roughly 1/2, but you can add more if you would like a spicier enchilada). Mix well.     

In a frying pan, add enough oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium-high heat. Lay each tortilla in the hot oil and quickly cook for approximately 5 seconds on each side. Place on paper towel covered plate to cool and to allow extra oil to drain.



Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas, roll, and lay into the green-sauced covered pan. Generally, I make 8 tortillas per 9 x 13" pan, although you can make more or less depending on how well you stuff the tortillas with the chicken mixture.

 

Ok, in this case, I had a little extra shredded chicken, so I actually made 2 pans of 5 enchiladas. One we ate, one is in the freezer.

Once the pan is full, pour the second can of green sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Cook for about 20 minutes, then remove from oven, and top with extra shredded Mexican cheese. Put back in oven until the cheese melts (about 6-8 minutes). Enjoy!!


Serving Suggestion: Spanish or Saffron Rice, Black Beans, and Salad (not pictured)


This makes one pan of enchiladas. Almost every time I make this meal, I double it, making one pan for another family (or my freezer to use later) and one pan for us to eat that night. They freeze really well, but I would recommend freezing it before cooking, and before adding the can of green sauce over the top. I instead keep that can in my pantry, ready to use whenever we eat the freezer meal, and I label it with "for pan in freezer" with a Sharpie so I remember that can is spoken for. I'm sure that some of my scientist tendencies will stay with me forever... :)