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Almost everyone has their family favorite version of enchiladas. Some are made with chicken, some with beef. Others are completely vegetarian. We all have our preferences on whether enchilada sauce should be red or green. The Big Flavors are definitely fans of the latter. Mexican night in our house means whipping up some pico-de-gallo to snack on while we make dinner. Oh, and we have to call each other by Mexican names. Say hola to Senora Bonita. I love a good salsa verde smothering my enchiladas and flavoring the cream chicken filling. We typically use good old Guy Fieri’s jar of salsa verde, but when we received tomatillos in our CSA share, I knew we had to make our own. When life hands you tomatillos, you make salsa verde of course.
Basically, you need a bunch of tomatillos, hot green and mild peppers and some seasonings. Roast all the veggies for that extra flavor and puree everything up in the blender until smooth, but still thick. It couldn’t be much simpler, really. The result is a smoky and spicy salsa that provides plenty of flavor for your favorite enchiladas. It’s a healthy dose of pepper in every bite.
And let’s say that you don’t have a favorite enchilada recipe yet. Well, I’ve got you covered. You’re welcome. Our favorite enchiladas are stuffed with plenty of chicken, cream cheese, and your newly homemade salsa verde. It’s thick enough to hold up in the tortilla shell, but still perfectly cheesy and creamy. It’s so good, you’ll find yourself snacking on any leftover filling with the torilla chips that were supposed to be saved for the salsa and sour cream sides. Who would do such a thing? Senor and Senora Grandes Sabores would.
Homemade Salsa Verde & Monster Chicken Enchiladas
Print recipe
| Serves | 8 |
| Prep time | 45 minutes |
| Cook time | 45 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hours, 30 minutes |
| Meal type | Condiment, Lunch, Main Dish |
Ingredients
Salsa Verde
- 1.25lb tomatillos (husks removed and cut in half)
- 6 - 8 small sweet green peppers (cut in half, stems and seeds removed)
- 3 jalapenos (cut in half, stems and seeds removed. Or more if you like it spicy!)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small white onion (quartered and pieces separated)
- olive oil
- 1/3 cup cilantro
- juice from 2 limes
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Chicken Enchiladas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small onion (diced)
- 2lb chicken breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 8 tortilla shells
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 6oz cream cheese
Directions
| Salsa Verde | |
| 1. | Spread olive oil all over bottom of a baking sheet. Place tomatillos, peppers, jalapenos, garlic, and onion cut side down on the pan. Roast for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Remove and let cool. |
| 2. | Once cool, add all roasted vegetables to a blender. Add cilantro, lime, parsley, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, but still thick. Adjust seasonings to taste. |
| Chicken Enchiladas | |
| 3. | Heat olive oil over medium low heat. Once hot, add onion. Season with salt. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add chicken and spices. Cook for 7-10 minutes more until cooked through. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. |
| 4. | Add cream cheese, pepper jac cheese, and 1/2 cup of salsa verde to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine all ingredients |
| 5. | In a large baking dish, spread out 1/2 cup of salsa verde. Spread 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla shell. Sprinkle additional pepper jack cheese on top. Fold both sides of the tortilla shell into the center of the shell. Fold end closest to you over the entire mixture. Continue rolling the shell and tucking tightly to form a roll. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Continue until all shells have been rolled. |
| 6. | Top with 1 cup of salsa verde and remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake in 400 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the cheese has melted and tortilla edges are golden and crispy. |
| 7. | Remove and let cool slightly before serving. Serve with all of your favorite Mexican night side dishes. |
We like monster enchiladas because it’s just the two of us. This recipe makes plenty of filling and I don’t want to be eating enchiladas for an entire week. If you wanted to feed a crowd, and this recipe can easily do that, just buy the smaller size tortilla shells and reduce the amount of filing you put in each enchilada. Just as delicious and feeds plenty of hungry mouths!
My enchilada advice is this - make sure you roll up each enchilada tightly, ensuring the filling stays where you put it. Oh, and don’t be afraid to really squish the enchiladas tightly against each other in the pan.
Need more Mexican night ideas?
Shared with: Weekend Potluck, Strut Your Stuff Saturday
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Last Four Big Flavors recipes... Click on a pic!
