Chicken Enchiladas

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we cooked chicken enchiladas for dinner at home tonight. (It beats fighting the crowds to get a table at a local restaurant!) I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly these came together. McHubby helped by shredding the chicken for me and making the Spanish rice and beans side dishes. The enchiladas were flavorful and spicy, with a touch of contrasting sweetness from the corn and tomatoes. This recipe makes 16 enchiladas, so you can easily cut it in half.

Source: Chicken Enchiladas, Tyler Florence

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 ½ cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions
Coat large sauté pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium

heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Sauté onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, sauté 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to sauté pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon ¼ cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.