I was craving something hot and spicy, and usually when I do that, I make something Mexican. I wanted to make some Chile Relleno's but Chicken Enchilada's also sounded good, and then inspiration struck. Well, kinda. I wanted to make a one dish meal, something that didn't require a lot of effort, but would not only look good, but more importantly, taste good. So, here's what I made.
First, I poached a couple of chicken breasts in the microwave, yes, I cooked them in the microwave, and they were good, not tough. The trick I've found is to not cook them at a high power level, instead cook a little longer on a lower setting. I sprinkled them with a little cumin, and placed a few tablespoons of canned green chiles on top, put a lid on the dish and poached them in their own liquid. When they were done, I let them cool a little and then cut them into cutlets.
I sprayed the pan with some non-stick spray, then lined the cooking pan with some torn up pieces of flour tortilla. Put down a layer of chicken, some canned green chiles' and a couple handfuls of shredded Monterey jack cheese. (I also used up some Pepper Jack cheese I had as well as part of a cheddar cheese, probably 3 oz of each).
Poured a little enchilada sauce over that, then put down another layer of torn up tortilla's.
Repeated another layer of chicken cutlets, green chiles, shredded cheese and then poured over the rest of the can of enchilada sauce.
I put it into a 375 deg. oven for about 40 minutes, took it out and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Now for my critique: The flavor was good, but not as spicy as I had hoped, I think a nice finely minced jalapeno sprinkled in between the layers of chicken and over the top would have added a nice depth of flavor. Next time I make it, I will layer the cheese and chicken and wait with the enchilada sauce until the end, and them pour it on. It was too saucy for my taste, but my DH liked how saucy it was. And I'll also put another layer of cheese on top of the enchilada sauce. I think that would improve it a lot. But it was still tasty and we enjoyed it.
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| Chicken Enchilada Casserole |
First, I poached a couple of chicken breasts in the microwave, yes, I cooked them in the microwave, and they were good, not tough. The trick I've found is to not cook them at a high power level, instead cook a little longer on a lower setting. I sprinkled them with a little cumin, and placed a few tablespoons of canned green chiles on top, put a lid on the dish and poached them in their own liquid. When they were done, I let them cool a little and then cut them into cutlets.
I sprayed the pan with some non-stick spray, then lined the cooking pan with some torn up pieces of flour tortilla. Put down a layer of chicken, some canned green chiles' and a couple handfuls of shredded Monterey jack cheese. (I also used up some Pepper Jack cheese I had as well as part of a cheddar cheese, probably 3 oz of each).
Poured a little enchilada sauce over that, then put down another layer of torn up tortilla's.
Repeated another layer of chicken cutlets, green chiles, shredded cheese and then poured over the rest of the can of enchilada sauce.
I put it into a 375 deg. oven for about 40 minutes, took it out and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Now for my critique: The flavor was good, but not as spicy as I had hoped, I think a nice finely minced jalapeno sprinkled in between the layers of chicken and over the top would have added a nice depth of flavor. Next time I make it, I will layer the cheese and chicken and wait with the enchilada sauce until the end, and them pour it on. It was too saucy for my taste, but my DH liked how saucy it was. And I'll also put another layer of cheese on top of the enchilada sauce. I think that would improve it a lot. But it was still tasty and we enjoyed it.
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this is making me hungry!
ReplyDeleteLOL, good.
ReplyDelete