Chicken Enchiladas, revisited.

Mom's chicken enchiladas were/are/will be a perennial favorite.  The creamy sauce, the gooey cheese, the flecks of green peppers.  Mmm.  And yet.  Not the most authentic, and let's be real: the boiled chicken was a little tough and not high on flavor.  So here's my most recent take on the classic.

Prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying with cooking spray; pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Basic Life Hack: I like to buy 1-2 rotisserie chickens from the deli section of the store (each whole chicken is about the price of 2-3 chicken breasts), pick the meat off, shred or chop it, and then toss the meat in a freezer bag.  I can usually get at least three meals from this meat, and that's for our family of five.  I have tried this cook-ahead-and-freeze-it method with regular chicken that I boil with root veggies, but I always think it tastes weird after being in the freezer.  Not so with the rotisserie chicken. I have used this chicken in chicken + biscuits, stovetop chicken alfredo, curry, quesadillas, stir-fry, all to the praise of the tiny humans and my tell-it-like-it-is spouse.

I assembly-line these babies, so start by gathering your enchilada fillings: cheese and chicken.  If I have it on hand, I prefer to use pepper jack cheese, although I always make a couple with something less spicy--ideally Monterey Jack, but I've used cheddar, mozzerella, or a fiesta blend before as well.

Arrange your tortillas over your counter or table top and then equally distribute chicken and cheese between them, however full or frugal you desire.  Roll the completed tortillas (I do not mess with toothpicks the way Mom did) and tuck them into the prepared pan.  Bake in the oven until cheese is melted and chicken is heated through, about 10 minutes (depending on how soft/crispy you like your enchiladas).

While the chicken is heating, prepare the sauce.  Mom basically made a sauce with cream of mushroom soup, canned green chilies, and chicken broth.  After eating AMAZING Mexican food in Kansas City this week, I was inspired to try more of a white sauce approach.  Worth it.  Melt 3 T. butter in the microwave, then add 1/4 c. flour.  Whisk butter and flour together, then heat in microwave for 15 seconds.  Add 2 c. milk, then whisk.  Microwave for 2 minutes, then whisk again.  Continue cooking for 30 second intervals until white sauce is thickened.  Add 1/2 - 1/3 c. cheese, whisk to combine, and season with salt and pepper.   Pour sauce over enchiladas, sprinkle with a little more cheese (I know what you're thinking, and no.  There is no such thing as too much) and pop baking dish back into the oven just for a few minutes until cheese is melted (also long enough to heat up a bag of steamable corn or green beans or the like, or toss together a salad).

To save on time and serving dishes at the table, I garnish each of the finished enchiladas with a couple slices of avocado and a dollop of sour cream.  Oh man.  I would make it again for dinner tonight if I wasn't out of tortillas.

So here's the breakdown of ingredients again.

For the enchiladas:
8 flour tortillas
1-2 c. chopped cooked chicken
2 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack or  cheddar cheese

For the sauce:
3 T. butter, melted
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1/2-1/3 c. shredded cheese (fiesta blend, cheddar, or pepper jack)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish with 1-2 avocados, sliced, sour cream, and a light sprinkle of shredded cheese.  Serve with your favorite salsa for an added kick.