Chicken Enchiladas

These Chicken Enchiladas have become a staple in our house.  I love them and my picky hubby adores them and requests them often.  They are fairly quick and easy to prepare, which is something I require of most dinners I make.  The filling for these Chicken Enchiladas is simply a batch of Shredded Tex-Mex Crock Pot Chicken and little freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese.  I top mine with a can of Old El Paso mild enchilada sauce and more shredded Monterey Jack cheese.  The shredded chicken requires minimum prep, then cooks all day in the crock pot.  Once the chicken is cooked and tender, you shred it with a fork, add in a little of the juices to keep it moist, and it's ready to be turned into enchiladas, tacos, or anything you wish.

These enchiladas can be assembled and out of the oven in 30 minutes, so they're great for a busy week night.  You can certainly make changes to these enchiladas to suit your preferences.  I highly suggest starting out with the Shredded Tex-Mex Crock Pot Chicken as it's delicious and makes a lovely base for enchiladas.  Feel free to make a homemade enchilada sauce or use your favorite store bought sauce to top your enchiladas.  Use Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar Jack, Pepper Jack, whatever your heart desires.  We usually enjoy ours plain, but a little dollop of sour cream or guacamole certainly wouldn't hurt.

The ingredients for the Shredded Tex-Mex Crock Pot Chicken are fairly basic.  You'll begin by sautéing an onion, spices, and garlic in a medium sauce pan, then deglazing the pan with a little chicken stock.  (I forgot to take a photo of this step.)

Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add them to the bottom of your crock pot.

Top them with fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Then pour the onion mixture on top.  Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours.

After a few hours, your chicken will be nice and tender.  Shred your chicken and add in some of the juices from the crock pot to moisten the meat.

Once your chicken is shredded, you are ready to assemble your enchiladas.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.  (I used a slightly smaller Corningware dish for the purpose of these photos.)

Warm 8 small flour tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, until pliable.  Fill the center of each tortilla with a generous about of shredded chicken and a sprinkle of cheese.  Roll up tightly and place seam side down in your prepared dish.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Because I used a slightly smaller casserole dish, I was only able to fit six enchiladas.  You'll have enough shredded chicken to generously fill eight enchiladas, and they should fit perfectly in a 9x13 dish.

Top your enchiladas with the sauce of your choice, followed by the rest of the cheese.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is bubbling.

Let your enchiladas cool for a minute or two, then dig in!

Shredded Tex-Mex Crock Pot Chicken
via Good Life Eats

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup (packed) cilantro leaves, chopped
2 limes
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (I omit the jalapeno)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat the oil in a medium sized sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, coriander, paprika and garlic and sauté two more minutes. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth making sure to scrape up any browned bits. Turn off and set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to crock pot. Squeeze the lime on top, add the cilantro, jalapeno (if using), and pour the onion and garlic mixture over top.

Cook on low for 3-5 hours, or until cooked through (different crock-pots cook at varying heats) and tender. Remove chicken breasts from the crock pot, shred and place in a bowl. Scoop out the onions and add to the chicken. Depending on the amount of juices produced, you may want to add some or all of the juice back to the shredded chicken.

Chicken Enchiladas
serves 4

1 batch Shredded Tex-Mex Crock Pot Chicken
8 small flour tortillas (or corn tortillas, if that is your preference)
8 oz. shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, or other)
10 oz. can enchilada sauce (or equal amount homemade sauce)
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Warm your tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, until pliable.  Fill each tortillas with a generous amount of shredded chicken (maybe about half a cup, I just eyeball it), then top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese (again, just eyeball it).  Roll up the enchilada tightly and place seam side down in the prepared dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas until all the chicken has been used.  Top enchiladas with your sauce of choice, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until enchiladas are warmed through and cheese is bubbling.  Let cool for a minute, then enjoy!