Chicken enchiladas with green sauce
Good sauce, cheese and corn pads make the difference.
OK, I admit it: This recipe looks lame. Too simplistic, too easy.
But if you have a cold, sore throat or the latest version of what’s going around, you might want some hot stuff to clear out your head. And you might not want to spend hours making lovely eggplant parmesan, which I’m thinking about doing this weekend.
In my case, I can’t make the enchiladas too hot, though, because the Intrepid One prefers his food on the mild side when it comes to Mexican fare.
So we’ve come up with this solution using Sweet Creek Organic Enchilada Green Sauce. It’s delicious and full of flavor even when your taste buds are off because of a head cold. Add some boiled chicken and Beecher’s jack cheese and you’re talking a good dinner. Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is from Pike Place Market in Seattle. The cheese and sauce are both available locally at New Seasons.
This sauce makes the best enchies.
The other night I boiled boneless chicken breast tenders in broth with onions and garlic. I let that cool as I poured about half a jar of the enchilada sauce into my baking dish. Next I shredded the chicken and moistened with a little more sauce, but not too much.
I use Carmen’s white corn pads, covering the pads with the sauce and then filling with the chicken. You should get at least eight or nine stuffed chicken enchies in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Top with the grated jack cheese. If you want, put some sliced olives on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. How easy is that? I also make a side of guacamole and serve sour cream in case anyone wants to add something. Refried or black beans go on the side. That’s it. Whip up a salad and you’ve got dinner on the table.
Janet Cleaveland
What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 52 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.