Chicken Enchiladas are the ultimate in family-favorite dishes. Chicken breasts are poached in a highly-flavored liquid; then the liquid does double duty as a sauce when mixed with salsa verde and whipping cream and spooned over the chicken-filled tortillas. Use the freshest tortillas you can find for this dish since older ones tend to dry out and crack even though they’re moistened in the flavorful sauce. We love La Tortilla Factory brand. Look for their low-fat, lower-sodium tortillas.
- 4 cups cold water
- 2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns $
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves $
- 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 jalapeño pepper, halved
- 1/2 medium onion, cut into wedges $
- 1 (7-ounce) can salsa verde
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup chopped seeded tomato
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
- 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Cooking spray
- 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)
Preparation
- 1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon; let stand 10 minutes. Shred the chicken; set aside. Drain cooking liquid through a sieve over a bowl; reserve liquid. Discard solids.
- 2. Combine the reserved cooking liquid and salsa verde in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 30 minutes). Reduce heat to low; stir in whipping cream. Place pan over low heat.
- 3. Preheat oven to 400°.
- 4. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add tomato and next 5 ingredients (through cream cheese) to chicken; toss. Dip each tortilla in sauce mixture for 10 seconds. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup chicken mixture; roll up. Arrange filled tortillas, seam sides down, in an 11 x 7–inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon sauce over tortillas; top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
