In the midst of a pandemic there are very few things that I look forward to. One of those is a drink at the end of the day (let’s not judge, these are weird times), and Taco Tuesday. There’s nothing like a themed dinner to allow me to pretend like things are normal…
The nights out at Taco Tuesday always resulted in me binge-eating the chips (what IS it about those damn restaurant chips that make me an uncontrollable eater?!), and getting too excited at HH that the Margarita’s just don’t quit. Or maybe I just don’t quit them. Regardless, I miss a good ol’ Taco Tuesday filled with delicious regrets.
As the weeks turned into months of this SIP lifestyle, the whole Taco theme got a bit repetitive. I decided it was time to make a change, hence….these dangerously delicious little bb’s. What a process it was to create a dish that I had a vague idea on how I wanted it to turn out and very little direction to go on. Let me tell you, there are very few Green Chile Enchilada recipes out there that are worth making…that sounds harsh. But it’s true! I don’t want to make this dish from a can…if I’m going all out, I’m skipping the processed stuff and making this a meal to remember.
P R E P
The thing that sets this dish apart from any other Enchilada Recipe is the sauce. That roasted, spicy, tangy, hearty goodness that’s both healthy and light is just perfect. I’ll be honest, the last time I made this I went overboard on the spice factor…I can’t help myself. The beauty of this salsa is you can doctor it based on what YOU like.
The key to the salsa is the roasting of the peppers and onions. Trust me, you don’t want to skip this part. Your kitchen will smell amazing, and you can roast ahead of time!
Aside from the roasting of the veggies (and really, the salsa-making process in general), is the chicken. Now, everyone has their own preferred way of getting shredded chicken, but my preferred way is in the crockpot. Just water, some breasts, a little seasoning, 3 hours, and you’re DONE. However, you’re more than welcome to do a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or bake your chicken in the oven.
What you’ll need
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
-1-1/2 pounds of tomatillos, husked and rinsed. Not sure what the heck a tomatillo is or how to “husk”? See this link here for an easy tutorial: https://www.cuisineathome.com/tips/husking-tomatillos/
-2-4 Serrano Peppers. I did 4 and tbh it was dangerously spicy…like, too much for my guests who can’t handle the heat. I’d recommend starting with 2, and you can also top it with more peppers.
-4 garlic cloves, peeled and whole.
-2 tablespoons olive oil.
-1 yellow onion, quartered.
-1/2 cup fresh cilantro, including stems.
-Salt, to taste.
-Food processor or blender.
-Cookie sheet/foil.
Enchilada Necessities
-9/13 baking dish.
-8 flour tortillas.
-2 cups of shredded chicken.
-1 cup yellow or red onion, diced.
-1 cup cotija cheese. You can do a mexican blend cheese, goat cheese, feta cheese…whatever is your fave. Cotija is my favorite due to the nuttiness and how it gets all melty…YUM.
-Optional toppings: Avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapenos/serranos.
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Cooking Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Directions
Shredded Chicken
-First things first, get your shredded chicken ready. Like I mentioned above, my favorite method is in the crockpot. Simply place your raw chicken (this can also be chicken thighs) in your crockpot, and add either water or chicken broth, just enough until it covers the chicken. You can add a ranch seasoning packet, a taco seasoning packet, or just go simple with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Put on high for 3 hours, remove, and shred. Easy! Alternatively, you can snag a rotisserie chicken and shred it yourself. Once your chicken is shredded and ready, allow to cool and set aside.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
-Set your oven to broil. On a foil-rimmed baking sheet, add the husked/rinsed tomatillos, serrano peppers, and garlic. If you have room, you can add the onion as well. Drizzle olive oil. Roast for 5ish minutes, until you see a char on the peppers. Flip, and return to oven for another 5 minutes.
-Allow to cool slightly, and then added roasted veggies to a food processor. (*A blender will also work, however if the salsa is too thick, you can slowly add in olive oil). Add cilantro, yellow onion (if you didn’t roast it), and salt. Pulse until blended and into a salsa-like consistency.
-You can use immediately, or chill for up to a week.
Enchiladas
-Preheat oven to 375.
-Set up your Lada-Station! In one large bowl, combine shredded chicken, diced onion, and about 1/3-1/2 cup of cotija cheese. Pour about 1/4 cup into mixture, and stir to combine. You can keep adding the salsa until you feel that the chicken isn’t too dry.
-Spread 1/4 cup of salsa on the bottom of baking dish. Using a cutting board or free, clean space on your counter, lay out your first tortilla. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture on the bottom of your enchiladas, and slowly roll. Place into your baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the rest of your tortillas.
-Pour the rest of the salsa over the enchiladas so that most of the tortillas are covered in a little sauce.
-Sprinkle the remainder of the cotija cheese over the enchiladas. Cover with foil.
-Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and remove foil. Return to over for 5-10 minutes until the cheese has melted. You can also put on low broil for a few minutes if you’re eager.
-Remove from oven, and let cool. Top with cilantro, avocado, peppers–whatever your little heart desires.
-Add my Honey Thyme Margaritas as a side, you deserve it.
Enjoy!
POST COOKING NOTES
-We’re currently on a Weight Watchers run, and so this is such an easy, healthy, and low point meal. I use the Carb Balance Tortillas (3 points each), so this whole dish, including cheese, is 5 pts per serving. Not bad!
-The holds up well in the fridge as leftovers! Nothing worse than a soggy leftover meal, and this dish really holds up. I tried heating it in both the oven (covered with foil so it didn’t dry out), and in the microwave, and both tasted great. Keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days.
-Feel free to get creative with your filling. I’m a simple gal, so cheese, protein and a little crunch from the onion and all I need, but you can add corn, avocado, beans (white beans would be amazing!), anything you want, or like to fill your ladas with.
If you made this I’d love to hear what you think! Find me on IG at basickneads!
Basic Kneads 
Yummy! Followed 🙂
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