Fast and Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Most of my cooking knowledge comes from cooking with my mom or watching her cook. Chicken enchiladas have been a part of our family dinner repertoire for as long as I can remember and it's one of the dishes that everyone looks forward to. My mom has cooked chicken enchiladas so many times that she could probably put them together in her sleep! This recipe is easy, economical, and soooo delicious. If you know you're not going to eat them all you can freeze them and reheat them later for an even quicker dinner. To make it into a whole meal we usually start a pot of "pink rice" (rice made with salsa for half the liquid) before getting started on the enchiladas themselves then heat up some pinto beans halfway through.


makes 12 enchiladas

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can Las Palmas Red Chile Sauce
• 1 can Ortega Enchilada Sauce
• 12 corn tortillas
• 16oz Pepper Jack cheese cut into pinky-finger sized chunks
• 16oz Colby Jack or Cheddar cheese cut into pinky-finger sized chunks

1. Place chicken in the microwave (yes, the microwave) and cook until nearly done. Microwaves vary in timing and power, so use any settings it may provide you with. Mine takes 3 minutes on each side.
2. Heat up the tortillas, one at a time. If you have a nice (clean) gas stove top you can turn the flame on low and place the tortillas right on top, flipping them as they start to get brown. For beginners or people with electric ranges heat your tortillas on a small non-stick omelet pan on medium-low heat.
3. When the chicken is nearly cooked (only slightly pink in the thickest parts) pull it apart into big bite-sized chunks.
4. Mix both cans of enchilada sauce in a large measuring pitcher or small bowl. Pour (or ladle) sauce to generously cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan. I usually use a Pyrex dish because then it can go in the microwave. The microwave in our apartment is too small, but they work just as well (only slower) in the oven.If you know you're going to bake the enchiladas to begin with you can use a metal pan.
5. Place one or two pieces of each kind of cheese and an equal amount of chicken in a line across the middle of a tortilla, parallel to your body. Fold the part closest to you over the filling and roll tightly to the edge of the tortilla. Hold the seam tight along the bottom and place the enchilada up against the edge of the pan.
   
6. Continue adding enchiladas to the pan, placing them fairly close together so they keep each other from unrolling. I usually fit 8-10 in one 9x14 dish.
7. Pour most (or all) of the remaining sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. The goal is to get some sauce on all of the tortillas so they don't dry out. You don't need to drown them. If you add too much sauce it can just end up floating the insides out of your enchiladas. Still tasty, but a bit messy.
8. I usually cut too much cheese to fit inside all of the enchiladas. If I haven't eaten it by now it gets broken up and sprinkled on top.
9. If you're baking, spray nonstick spray on one side of a sheet of aluminum foil, cover (spray side down), and bake for 20-30 minutes at 375. If you're microwaving, cover the pan with plastic wrap, leaving a small corner exposed to let the steam out. Some lucky people have microwaves with a "casserole" setting. Use this. Otherwise, 10-20 minutes on high will work, depending on how new/hardcore your microwave is.
   
10. With either method of heating, you want the edges and the middle of the pan to be bubbling and the cheese on top to be melted. I don't think I've ever overcooked them in the oven, but in the microwave it is possible to end up with enchilada mush if you cook them too long!
11. Allow the enchiladas to rest for 5 minutes before serving them. I usually can't stand to wait that long, but it helps to keep all the melted cheese from sliding out of the middle on it's way to the plate.
    
12. We enjoy eating these with beans and rice with an extra splash of leftover sauce on top. I was lucky enough to have some avocados last time I made this, so ours got some guacamole!