Chicken Enchiladas

I always thought enchiladas would be hard to make.  They just look complicated... and messy.

And, I am always wary of recipes that don't give specific amounts.

But as I always say, if I can make this, anyone can!  I call these "Non-Scary Chicken Enchiladas"

I've tried to quantify the recipe as best as I can.  Next time I'll take pictures.

1 cup (about 5-6 ounces) shredded cooked chicken
4 tortillas (8 inch, "soft taco size") flour or corn
1 can (10 ounces) green enchilada sauce
8 ounces shredded cheese (a lot)
Chopped onions, optional
Small can of diced Hatch chiles, also optional.
Sour cream, also optional.
Vegetable oil


Heat your oven to 350 F. Oil up an 8 inch square cake pan.   Lining it with aluminum foil first makes it easier to get the enchiladas out of the pan.

Put the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel.  Microwave 30 - 40 seconds until they are soft and pliable.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce into the cake pan.

 Take one tortilla and place about 1/4 cup chicken in the middle.  Spread it out in row.

Drizzle a spoonful of sauce on it, and top with a handful of some cheese.   The cheesier the better, in my opinion. But not so much that it'll spill out the ends. Throw in some diced chiles and onions if you like.

Roll up the tortilla, leaving the ends open.  Place it seam side down in the cake pan.

Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.  The should be nestled together in the pan.

Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas, and top with more shredded cheese.  The tortillas should be pretty well covered by the sauce and cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Top with sour cream, if that's you thing.   Green onions are good, too.

The spice level of this is directly related to the sauce you use.   And sometimes the sauce cans will fool you!  Check these out:

Looks the same when sitting on the shelf...

Fooled you!  There's a medium version, too, which I saw when digging through the cans on the shelf at the store.  Shoppers are such pigs.

Neither is devastatingly hot, but the mild allows you to enjoy the flavor without burning your tongue.

I serve this with Easy Oven Mexican Rice.

Actually, I don't serve it, I pull it out of the oven and say "Food's done!"