Chicken Enchiladas

YIELD 6 servings
Bake @ 450 degrees for about 10 minutes

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 trimmed, pounded if necessary)
salt & pepper
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (20 ounces)
1 cup finely crumbled queso fresca or feta cheese (or mexican shredded mix)
1-4 oz can diced green chilies
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas (or 6 flour tortillas)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
lime wedges for serving

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Combine the chicken and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, 10-15 minutes. When the sauce is simmering, flip the chicken over, cover, and continue to cook until the chicken registers 160-165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it into bite-size pieces when cool enough to handle. Combine the chicken, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, queso fresco, chilies, and cilantro in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover to keep warm while heating the tortillas. 

For corn tortillas, lightly coat both sides with vegetable oil spray. Place 6 tortillas on a baking sheet and bake until the tortillas are soft and pliable, 2-4 minutes.

Working quickly while the tortillas are still warm and pliable, spread them out over a clean counter. Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each tortilla around the filling and lay them, seam-side down, in a 13X9 inch baking dish. 

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup more enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the cheddar. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until they are heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer. Serve, passing the remaining sauce and lime wedges separately. 


to make ahead, assemble the enchiladas through step 5, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Before topping with sauce and cheese and baking, spray the enchiladas lightly with vegetable oil spray and bake until warm and lightly toasted on top 10 to 20 minutes.