Chicken Enchiladas

My dearest friend Chelsea Lee is a Mexican. Not really. She’s Caucasian. But her grandmother is Mexican. Therefore, Chelsea does not speak any Spanish, but she sure can cook some mean ethnic food. She was kind enough to teach me this recipe, which my boyfriend loves very very much. It’s easy to keep the ingredients stocked in your pantry for one of those days where you don’t know what to make. Plus, they taste so yummy and authentic, Haley once described it as, “It tastes like you cooked it in your cast iron skillet over open flame in your hut with dirt floors while your 7 children ran around chasing the chicken whose head you have to cut off.”

I think that’s her way of saying it’s good.

Anyways,

Measurements are not super specific here. That’s the beauty of it. You can make this your own style.

1 package chicken breast.

2 10 oz cans enchilada sauce. (They come in hot, medium, and mild. I use 1 hot and 1 medium because dear boyfriend enjoys it spicy. This is up to you.)

Packet taco seasoning.

Can of corn. (Optional.) I like Green Giant Mexicorn because it has some red and green peppers in it.

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Vegetable oil

Corn tortillas. (The small kind. Ole brand is the best for this, but good luck finding them. Mission is good. So are Aldi brand. One time I got some other brand and they kept falling apart. Not cool.)

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Mexican or Taco shredded cheese

Trim and boil your chicken.

Shred it. The finer your shred, the better. Don’t be afraid to use your fingers here. We’re getting down and dirty. But wash your hands first! We’re not getting THAT dirty.

Place chicken, 1 can sauce, half packet seasoning, and corn in pan. Cook over low/medium until the chicken soaks up all the sauce. No need to stir too often, you’re just letting it simmer and hang out. This is how it looks when it’s done.

In a separate pan, fill to about an inch with vegetable oil. Heat it over medium until it makes a couple little bubbles. Watch out, because if you make it too hot it will pop and burn you! Ouch. Trust me.

Drop your tortilla in, for about 30 seconds. You know it’s time to flip it over when it begins to rise and bubble up like a pancake. Use tongs to turn. Don’t overcook, or they will get crunchy! I should have gotten a picture of this. I was on the phone. As usual. You’re gonna want to make a big stack of these.

They’ll look like this. Not too dark, ok? Layer each one on a paper towel to soak the grease.

Now, fill each guy with a couple spoonfuls of your chicken mixture. Not too full, or they wont roll up nicely. If you didn’t have much chicken, you can stretch it but filling them up less.

Roll them up and place them ‘tab-side’ down. Line your little enchiladas up in the pan. Cover in a can of sauce. Or less than a can, it’s really up to you. I like to douse mine but SOME people think they’re too saucy. SOME people are boring. Also, I was trying to fit a lot in this little dish. You don’t have to squeeze them together so much.

Cover with a hefty amount of cheese. We love cheese. Being born so close to Wisconsin and all, I think it’s in our blood.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

YAY! Homemade enchiladas. Serve with some Mexican rice, chips and salsa, and Chelsea’s homemade flour tortillas. Maybe she can teach you about those one day.