creamy Poblano Enchiladas

This recipe can be made with shrimp, crawfish, or chicken—or load up on extra veggies for meatless Monday.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ cups chicken broth

• 1 large poblano, minced*—set aside 2 tablespoons

• ¾ cup sour cream

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• salt and pepper

• 2 cups shredded Monterey or pepper jack cheese— the consistency will be better if you grate your own, but pre-shredded will work too

• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped*—this can be skipped for those that have an aversion

*Set some additional aside for garnish, if you’d like

For the filling:

• 1 lb protein of your choice—see below

• 1 tablespoon oil

• ½ cup white onions, diced

• 4 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 ½ cups shredded carrots

• 3 cups packed fresh baby spinach

• hot sauce to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375⁰F.

CREAMY POBLANO SAUCE: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes or until it just begins to brown. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and cook. You want to whisk continuously so you don't have any lumps, about 2-3 minutes. When the sauce begins to thicken just a bit, add in the sour cream, whisking if necessary. Next, add garlic powder and the poblano. Simmer and allow the sauce to thicken for another 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste and stir in 1 cup of cheese. When the cheese melts, remove from stove and stir in cilantro. Set aside.

ENCHILADA FILLING: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large saucepan and cook the onions for 1-2 minutes or until they just being to turn translucent. Add the garlic along with the 2 tablespoons of reserved poblano and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the carrots and baby spinach and a couple of dashes of hot sauce. Allow the spinach to just barely begin to wilt and remove from stove. Add your chopped shrimp/ crawfish tails/shredded chicken and stir to combine.

ASSEMBLY: Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the tortillas on a flat surface such as a cutting board and spoon the filling in the center, about ⅓ cup. Sprinkle some of the remaining cheese on top, roll the tortilla, and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas and filling. Drizzle the tops of the tortillas with the creamy poblano sauce, cover the casserole dish with foil, and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tortillas heat all the way through. Remove from the oven and garnish.

• 12 flour tortillas

Protein options:

• Shrimp: peeled and deveined, fresh or thawed from frozen. Season with salt and pepper or a cajun blend of your choosing and sauté in oil or butter for 1 minute per side. Chop.

• Crawfish: thawed, pre-cooked tail meat, whether left over from a boil or store-bought. As with the shrimp, season with salt and pepper or a cajun blend of your choosing and sauté in oil or butter for 1-2 minutes per side.

• Chicken: place chicken breast in a pot and season with salt and pepper or a cajun blend. Cover the chicken with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let the chicken simmer until it reaches 160⁰F (likely 10-15 minutes, but varies depending on the thickness of the chicken). Remove with a slotted spoon. Chicken can be shredded in a stand mixer, using forks, or any other preferred method. For a quicker dinner, skip the extra cooking and use a rotisserie chicken.

• Veggies: get creative! Corn, black or pinto beans, bell peppers, and/or zucchini could all be welcome options for these enchiladas.