Chicken Enchiladas w/ Green Sauce

Enchiladas are a classic baked tortilla dish that is usually filled with cheese, meat, veggies or beans and topped with a red, tomato/chili based sauce. This recipe uses chicken, a mixture of veggies and cheese, and is baked in a green tomatillo sauce.

I like to use rotisserie chicken or leftover baked chicken and then throw in any cooked veggies I have on hand. Start out with onions and peppers and then add anything you like including zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, kale, peas, beans, tofu, seitan. You can make this all veggie style with veggies and beans, or super meaty style with a mixture of chopped or shredded beef and pork. You can also add a mixture of cheeses like cheddar, pepper jack, goat or feta, and use fresh or store bought red enchilada sauce or green salsa verde.

Enchilada Filling

Pre heat the oven to 400 F and lightly oil a large casserole dish. Place the first 9 ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine. Place the tortillas on a flat surface, place 1/3 - 1/2 cup of filling in the middle and then roll tightly. Place the rolled tortilla into a large casserole dish, then continue to roll the tortillas with filling and pack tightly in the dish.

Pour the green sauce over the enchiladas, top with cheese, cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil from the dish and cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve the hot enchiladas with sour cream and fresh pico de gallo.

Tomatillo - Green Sauce

Place a small pot over medium heat. Add the oil to the pot, and when it smokes, add the onions, garlic and jalapeño. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatillos, chicken stock and seasonings. Stir the mixture and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and carefully use a hand blender to pulse until smooth. If you do not have a hand blender, place 1 cup of the sauce into a blender at a time, top lightly with a towel and pulse on low power until smooth. Repeat with the rest of the sauce.