Introduction: Chicken Enchiladas With Homemade Flour Tortillas

These Enchiladas are sure to impress all of your family and friends.  Also, any leftovers are great for freezing and turning into a completely different meal!  (a leftover suggestion on step 4)

Step 1: Ingredients (go Shopping)

Ingredients

Tortillas
  2 c all purpose flour
  1 ½ tsp baking powder
  1 tsp salt
  2 tsp vegetable oil
  ¾ c slightly warmed milk
  ½ c all purpose flour for dusting surfaces

 Enchilada Filling
  1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
  3 Tbs vegetable oil
  1.5 c shredded cheddar and jack cheeses
  1 red sweet pepper*
  1 green pepper*
  1 red onion
  2 canned green chilies (seeded and chopped)
1 can chipotle chilies (seeded) If you can’t find these in the store, just replace with another can of green chilies
  1 14oz can of enchilada sauce (hot or mild [I like to mix a can of each])
  Salt and pepper
  Taco or Mexican seasoning
  1 fresh Jalapeno (optional)

*If using smaller sweet peppers, I like to use as many different colors as possible. For example, using a yellow pepper in addition to the red and green peppers.

 Garnish
  Sour cream
  Chopped green onions
  Cilantro

 You will also need:
  13 x 9” pan
  A Large Sauté Pan
Medium sized shallow bowl
Cutting Board
2 medium sized mixing bowls

Step 2: Preparation ("chop-chop")

Preparation: or what I like to call, “chop-chop.”

I like to get all of my ingredients ready to go, just like we do in the restaurant industry.

Start by washing the peppers and getting out your cutting board. Each pepper should be washed and all seeds and white “fleshy” parts should be removed from the insides.

Cut the peppers in thin slices or strips like you would be using them for fajitas. They should be about a ¼” thick and ½ the length of the pepper. (I like using a small paring knife for this.) Place aside in a medium sized mixing bowl. This would also be the time to chop the jalapeno and mix in with the pepper mixture if desired.


The onion should be peeled away from its outside skin and cut into strips as well. (This is easily done by cutting the onion in half from the root end to the greens end and placing the halves, cut side down, on the cutting board. Proceed to slice the onion into ¼” strips by ½ the length of the onion. Use your fingers to pull the pieces apart.) Place in the mixing bowl with the peppers and set aside.

Shred 10 - 12 ounces of mild or medium cheddar and/or jack cheeses. I prefer to shred the cheese myself because it is not only cheaper, but also fresher. Set aside.

You can also prepare by opening all of the canned goods you will be using. Set aside.

Step 3: Multi-task: Tortillas and Enchilada Filling

In a bowl, begin by stirring together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, with a whisk or fork, mix together the oil and milk. Gradually add the oil/milk mixture to the dry ingredients. With clean hands, work into a sticky dough.

Dust flour over a clean, dry surface. Knead the dough at a fast pace for 2 minutes until no longer sticky. Place back in the bowl and cover with a damp towel (a flour sack towel works well) for 15 minutes.

While the dough is resting, this might be a good time to clean up any messes.

Separate dough into 8 equal sized balls. And cover again, letting rest for 20 more minutes.

Now, while the dough is resting this time, it is a good idea to start cooking the chicken.

Place a large skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and taco/Mexican seasoning. Over medium heat, place in pan to brown, cooking on each side for 7 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.

Going back to the tortilla dough…
Press each dough ball into 5” circles. Using a flour dusted rolling pin, roll each tortilla into an 8” circle about a ¼” thick.

(Be sure to continue checking on the chicken, timing the cooking on each side and turning over after 7 minutes.)

Using a dry, non-stick skillet, one at a time, cook on one side until it starts to bubble and continue cooking for 25 seconds. Flip over and cook the other side the same way.

Repeat the press, rolling, and cooking process for each tortilla, setting them on a plate and covering loosely with foil.

Set the tortillas aside.

The chicken should be completely cooked and off of the heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Take the chicken off of the pan and set chicken aside to cool.

Using the same pan, sauté sliced sweet peppers and onion over medium heat. (Start with the peppers, as they take longer to soften than the onion.) The end product should be softened but still slightly firm. Add the chilies and stir well. sautéing for one additional minute and removing from the heat.

Now that the chicken has cooled, pull apart and shred the cooked chicken breast and add to the vegetable sauté mixture.

Step 4: Putting It All Together

Next, coat the bottom of a 13” x 9” pan with a ladle of enchilada sauce.

In a large, shallow bowl, place the rest of the enchilada sauce. One at a time, using the fresh, homemade tortillas from earlier, dip each one in the enchilada sauce, lightly coating the tortilla.

Fill the tortilla with ¼ - 1/3 cup of chicken/vegetable filling. I like to do this over the baking pan because it can get a little messy. Sprinkle with cheese and fold the tortilla around the filling. Place in the pan. Repeat this process until all tortillas are filled.



Quick Leftover Note: Any leftover filling can be easily frozen and used another time. I freeze mine and, on a day when I need to make a quick, warm meal, I’ll make a chicken tortilla soup. I’ll thaw the frozen filling a little bit and put in a pot over low heat. I’ll add Swanson’s brand chicken stock and maybe some chopped garlic, a can of black beans and a can of crushed tomatoes (not drained), some frozen corn, and a little more jalapeno, and chili powder and pepper to taste. This soup is pretty fool proof and delicious! It goes well with fried tortilla strips and sour cream or crème fresh as a garnish.

Top the enchiladas with the remainder of the enchilada sauce and cheese.

Step 5: Bake and Serve

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted. I like to broil the enchiladas on high for about 3 minutes at the end (with the oven door slightly open) to brown the cheese a little bit, making sure not to over cook.

Use the garnishes as preferred. Suggested side serving of Zatarrans brand Spanish rice and margaritas.

Enjoy!