Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Chicken and Cream Cheese Enchiladas with Hatch Chile Sauce Smothered with Colby Jack Cheese

Ok, I know that's a long title for a blog post, but it perfectly describes my Chicken and Cream Cheese Enchiladas with Hatch Chile Sauce Smothered with Colby Jack Cheese.


 
  • 1 (15 oz.) can chunk white chicken, drained
  • 1/2 medium onion, very finely diced
  • Freshly ground black pepper, ground cumin, and chili powder, to taste
  • 1 clove garlic, very finely diced
  • 1 (14 oz.) can Hatch enchilada sauce, divided
  • 10 (6-inch) white corn tortillas, softened (place them, one by one, in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds, but don't tell anyone you did it this way; it's a secret... well it's not really a secret; it's more like a helpful hint)
  • 1 (8 oz.) brick Colby Jack cheese, cut into 20 logs (if you love ooey, gooey cheese, cut them thick)
  • 3/4 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, cut into 10 logs (it doesn't cut very nicely, and you'll be stretching it later, so don't worry about it)
  • 1 (8 oz.) package shredded Colby Jack cheese

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray (or a dab or two of butter if you prefer). Add the chicken and onions. Saute until the onions are soft. Season with freshly ground black pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Wait a minute, then stir it again,  seasoning it for the second time with all the above-mentioned spices. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute, just until you get a good whiff of garlic in the air. Add a little bit of the enchilada sauce into the chicken mixture, just to moisten it a bit, and stir to mix. Take the pan off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour a little of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 13 x 9 glass baking dish.

Lay one softened tortilla in the sauce in the baking dish. Add 2 logs of Colby Jack, one cream cheese log (stretch it to fit over the cheese logs), and a spoonful or two of the chicken mixture. Roll it up (your hands are going to get very messy with the sauce, but that's part of the joy of making enchiladas). When you're done rolling, it should already be seam side down, so just push it to the end of the baking dish and repeat nine more times. You may have to add more sauce to the baking dish to coat the tortillas as you roll them. You should end up with eight in a row and two on the side.

Smother with the whole package of Colby Jack cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and lose the aluminum foil cover. Return to the oven to let the cheese brown for 5 more minutes or so.

Let them rest for 5 minutes before you try to scoop them out of the baking dish. I've found that using a spatula on one side and a serving spoon on the other side works very nicely in getting the first one out of the baking dish intact.

BTW, I somehow "lost" the picture that went with this recipe, so I "borrowed" one.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Hatch is Here!



Just got an email from Central Market that Hatch chiles are now in the store. WooHoo!

On my way out the door right now. Be back with some Hatch and lots of new recipes.