Green Chicken Enchiladas 14-Sep-2012

a mexican-inspired casserole with chicken and tomatillo sauce

Ingredients

• 2 pound tomatillos, outer husks removed
• 1 white onion, sliced into ½-inch rounds
• 1 jalapeño pepper, optional
• 6 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
• 1¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup low-fat sour cream
• 16 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 3 cup shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup grated reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• ½ cup finely chopped onion

Directions

For salsa:

1. Preheat broiler. Rinse the tomatillos under warm water to remove any stickiness and dirt. Place the tomatillos, onion and jalapeño on a baking sheet lined with foil and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Transfer the tomatillos, onions and jalapeño to a blender with the cilantro, cumin, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and purée until smooth.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the salsa and cook over until thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. (If you plan to freeze the salsa, cool it at this point and freeze it. To use it, defrost and continue with recipe.)

5. Add the broth and cook for another 5 minutes. The salsa should be slightly thickened and not watery at all. Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream.

For the enchiladas:

1. Brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and lay on a cookie sheet in stacks of two. Heat just until soft and pliable, about 3 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, onion and salt. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the chicken mixture and toss to combine.

3. Spread 1/3 of sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in center of 1 tortilla. Roll up tortilla. Place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese melts and enchiladas are heated through, about 20 minutes.

If you want to make extra tomatillo salsa to freeze, double the amount of the first seven ingredients. Follow the directions in the recipe up to the point of adding the broth. Freeze half of the salsa for up to 2 months, and use the other half with this dish.