Chicken Enchiladas With Salsa Verde Guacamole And Lime Crema Recipes

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add chicken and season with salt and black pepper. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add tomatillos, serrano pepper, and garlic. Boil for 12 minutes.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place poblano peppers in a resealable plastic bag and add 1 tablespoon oil. Toss to coat. Transfer peppers to the hot skillet and roast until dark brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Return roasted peppers to the resealable bag and seal. Set aside to steam for 10 minutes. Take out peppers from the bag; remove and discard skins and stems.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer tomatillos, serrano peppers, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to a blender. Add onion, cilantro, lime juice, roasted poblano peppers, salt, and pepper to the blender. Liquefy into a smooth sauce.
• Remove chicken from the water in the pot and shred using a fork.
• Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry tortillas in the hot oil until softened, about 5 seconds on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Pour 1/2 the sauce from the blender into the bottom of a long glass baking pan. Roll a portion of chicken mixture and some shredded queso cheese on a tortilla, roll up, and place in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and queso cheese. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce. Use a spoon to add crema in a zigzag design on top. Top everything with remaining queso cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese starts to brown, about 20 minutes.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS ROJAS WITH OREGANO GUACAMOLE AND CREMA

Steps:

• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, high-sided saute pan. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and sear on both sides until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a sheet tray and place into the oven. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the center of a chicken thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes. Shred the chicken with two forks and set aside.
• For the chile sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the chiles over medium heat, turning, until toasted and fragrant, 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and discard the stems and the seeds. Set aside the pan for later. Add the toasted chiles, onion, garlic, canned tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, oregano, salt, sugar and 1 cup water to a blender. Puree until smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the strained chile sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the sauce has slightly reduced, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finish the filling: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and 1/2 cup of the chile sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.
• To assemble: In a medium skillet, heat 1/4 inch olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Using tongs, dip a tortilla in the hot oil and cook over medium heat, turning once, until pliable, about 10 seconds. Transfer the tortilla to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Spread a thin layer of chile sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Dip each fried tortilla into the chile sauce, flipping to cover both sides. Repeat with the remaining fried tortillas.
• Fill each dipped tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture and roll it up. Place the roll into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Pour the remaining sauce all over the enchiladas and top with the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts, 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves and scallion greens. Serve with Oregano Guacamole and Crema.
• Place the avocado, scallions, oregano, lime juice and some salt and pepper in a bowl and mash together with a fork or potato masher to desired consistency.
• Whisk together the sour cream, avocado, salt and lime zest in a small bowl until well combined.

SALSA VERDE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, poblano peppers, jalapeno peppers, and garlic; cook and stir until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; squeeze lime halves over chicken, then place rinds and pulp into the skillet. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.
• Remove and discard lime rinds. Stir in cream cheese, 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Once cream cheese is melted, remove from heat.
• Puree salsa verde, sour cream, and cilantro in a blender or food processor.
• Heat tortillas in a microwave until soft, 15 to 30 seconds.
• Pour enough of the sour cream mixture into the prepared baking dish to coat the bottom. Place 2 heaping tablespoons or more of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up, and place seam side-down in the baking dish. Pour remaining sour cream mixture over all enchiladas and top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Cover the dish with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.