Chicken Enchiladas

Who doesn’t love chicken enchiladas?  And these delicious chicken enchiladas are so easy to make!  They were popular at the catering shop.  They’re lively, but not spicy hot, and we used to tell people they were kid- and grandmother-friendly.  You can always put a bottle of hot sauce on the table.

I use white corn tortillas for enchiladas now that they’re readily available in my area.  They’re more pliable than yellow corn tortillas, and much less prone to cracking.  White corn tortillas also stand up better to being baked with sauce than flour tortillas do.  You will need to warm them up in the microwave before trying to roll them, but all you need to do is wrap the stack of them in a damp paper towel and microwave them for 45 seconds.     

Feel free to assemble them up to three days ahead if you like.  Even the cheese sauce will be okay in the fridge for that long.  Just warm it back up while the enchiladas rest.

Oh, and go ahead and use some rotisserie chicken!  That’s always how I do it here.  You can garnish your chicken enchiladas any way you like.  Restaurant-style salsa, black bean salsa, even salsa fresca are all good, or use you favorite store-bought salsa.   We also like to set out lime wedges, some cilantro, diced avocado, and pickled jalapenos.

¡Delicioso! 

Print Recipe

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

Filling:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1 t. smoked paprika
• 1 t. salt
• ½ t. black pepper
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

To assemble the enchiladas:

• cooking spray for the baking dish
• 1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
• 10 taco-sized white corn tortillas

Cheese Sauce:

• 8 oz. Velveeta® cheese
• 1 4 oz. can green chilies, drained (optional)
• ⅓ cup milk

Other garnishes, optional:

• cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, chopped tomato, salsa, sliced jalapenos, etc.

Instructions

• Combine all the filling ingredients, mixing well.
• Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Brush each tortilla with a little enchilada sauce. Put about 3 tablespoons of filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll tightly and put in the baking dish seam side down. When all enchiladas are rolled, brush the tops with more enchilada sauce. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Put the Velveeta, chilies if using, and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Pour about half the cheese sauce down the middle of the enchiladas. Let them rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve the rest of the cheese sauce with the enchiladas, and garnish as you like.