Just Roll With It: Chicken Enchiladas in Easy Red Sauce

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY RENÉE KOHLMAN

Full confession time: I’ve never been to Mexico. Talk about a travesty! Believe me, I would give anything to be enjoying one of their fine resorts right about now, but alas, remaining on the cold prairie I must.

That being said, I really and truly enjoy Mexican cuisine when I’ve tried it at authentic restaurants in my city. Tacos, taquitos, tostadas - I’m all in. But enchiladas are where my heart is at. I love the spicy, full-bodied sauce that smothers the corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken and cheese. Sometimes I skip the meat and use roasted zucchini, corn, and black beans, instead. Whatever way you roll, you don’t want to skip the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, as they are the KEY ingredient here.

If you’ve never tried them, here’s the deal. Chipotles in adobo are smoked and dried jalapeño peppers that have been rehydrated and canned in a sweet and tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and some other spices. This ruddy sauce packs some major heat, so do proceed accordingly. I used two tablespoons of the sauce in this recipe, but you do you.

Any leftovers keep for a good long while in the refrigerator. Use them in marinades, sauces, stews, chili, and more enchiladas. Look for them in the Latin goods section of most grocery stores.

There are a few steps here, but the end result is worth it. I like to add the toppings in the middle of the table then everyone can garnish their enchiladas as they see fit.

Chicken Enchiladas in Easy Red Sauce

Serves 3-4

Sauce:

1 medium yellow onion, quartered

2 garlic cloves

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

2 Tbs (30 mL) canola oil

1 Tbs chili powder

1 Tbs ground cumin

1-2 Tbs (15-30 mL) adobo sauce

1 tsp granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

1 can (798 mL) crushed tomatoes

1/3 cup (80 mL) whipping cream (35%)

1. Prepare the sauce: place the quartered onion, garlic, and chipotle pepper, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until finely chopped, but not mushy.

2. In a Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion mixture for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, 1 Tbs (15 mL) adobo sauce, sugar, and salt. Cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Rinse out the tomato can with about ½ cup (125 mL) water and add this tomatoey water to the pot as well. Cover, bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes,

Enchiladas:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (see note)

10-12 corn tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or sharp cheddar)

Toppings:

Sliced avocado

Sliced radishes

Sliced jalapeño pepper

Crumbled cotija cheese (or feta) Torn cilantro leaves

Lime wedges

Steamed rice, for serving

4. Spread about ½ cup (125 mL) of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 23x33 cm (9x13 inch) baking dish. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas. You can do this by covering them with damp paper towels and microwaving for about 60 seconds, or you can wrap the stack in aluminum foil and warm in a 300º F oven for about 5 minutes, or gently warm in a skillet on the stove top. However you do it, it’s important to warm the tortillas as it makes it easier to roll them up.

5. Preheat the oven to 400º F.

6. To assemble the enchiladas: add a large dollop of sauce on a large plate or shallow bowl. Dredge the tortilla in the sauce and flip over. Fill with pieces of shredded chicken and cheese. I like to place these ingredients in the first third of the tortilla, then roll up tightly. Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, and cheese. I make two rows of 5 or 6 enchiladas in the dish.

7. Cover the enchiladas with about 1½ cups (375 mL) of sauce. You will likely have some sauce left over, which means you can freeze for later use, or just make more enchiladas! Give the pan a little jiggle to make sure the sauce creeps down between the enchiladas. You can always add more sauce if you want them saucier. Sprinkle any remaining cheddar cheese on top.

8. Bake, uncovered for about 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese has melted. Serve with steamed rice and any toppings you like.

Note: To save time, I like to use one of those roasted chickens from the deli of a large grocery store. I just remove the meat from the carcass and use the breast meat for this recipe and the remaining meat for another meal. Plus the bones are then used for making homemade chicken broth.

If this isn’t an option for you, simply poach two raw chicken breasts. Place the chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Flavour the poaching liquid with slices of onion, whole garlic cloves and a generous pinch of salt. Once cooked, let the chicken breasts cool, then shred with two forks and proceed with the recipe.