Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

I’m sure most everybody has tried some variation of this recipe at least once, but I’m not sure that the ones you tried were as good as these! I grew up eating my Mom’s version which I LOVE, but her recipe, like many, uses cream of chicken soup as a base for the sauce. Now I’m not proclaiming to be the picture-child of healthy eating, but sometimes I prefer to not have all my food come out of a can, just sayin’. Soo this is a revved up version of a classic recipe that probably was found on the back of a Campbell’s  can at some point in history.

Don’t let the fact that the sauce is made from real ingredients scare you. Real food=Scary? Hmmm. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Anyways it’s simple and you can do it.  You’re basically making your own cream of chicken soup. You’ll start with a basic roux (Roux is fancy speak for equal parts fat and flour) and let it cook for a minute and then stir in some chicken broth. That’s it, well kind of. You’ll have to read the recipe to find out the rest.For the Chicken: The recipe calls for  2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast. I always roast my chicken breasts in the oven when I need cooked chicken for a recipe as opposed to boiling, microwaving (don’t everdo this-please?), or pan frying. Why? Because it’s easy, almost mess-free ( I loathe cleaning boiled chicken pans) and makes the chicken moist and flavorful. Always season your chicken with salt and pepper before you put it into a recipe, it makes all the difference! The method is below.

My mom always adds a can of chopped black olives to her sauce and I love it! I didn’t have any on-hand when I made these, but I think I’ll use them next time.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Serves 12 enchiladas, 1 pan     adjust servings

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Ingredients

• 12, 6 in. corn tortillas
• 2 C cooked, shredded chicken
• 2 C Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 C chicken broth
• 1 C sour cream
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
• 1/8 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder -optional (NOT the same as regular chili powder) Adding this gives the sauce a little kick and a bit of smoky flavor
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 can (4 oz I think) chopped black olives -optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Mix the shredded chicken and 1 cup of Monterrey jack cheese in a small mixing bowl.
3. In a medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat and add flour. Stir to combine and let cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add in broth and whisk until it comes to a boil, is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream, green chiles, chipotle chili powder, oregano, and black olives if using.
4. In a 9×13? pan, spread about ½-3/4 of a C of the sauce across the bottom of the pan. Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave until they are pliable and don’t crack when rolled. Working one at a time, put a portion of the chicken and cheese mixture into the center of the tortilla and roll. Place in the pan and repeat until all the chicken and tortillas are gone. Pour the remainder of the sauce over the tops of the enchiladas making sure that all edges are covered. Top with the remaining 1 C of cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and then under a high broil for 1-3 minutes to brown the cheese and make it look delicious!

by Heather Cheney

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Roasted Chicken Breast

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Ingredients

• 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
• 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt- depending on the size of your breasts
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Any other herbs, spices you want. You can be creative here. Putting this chicken into tortilla soup? Add chili powder and cumin. Adding it to a garden salad? Try thyme, parsley, and garlic powder. If you don’t feel like being adventurous, stick with the salt and pepper and it will taste great.
2. Preheat Oven to 400°
3. On a lined baking tray- I only say lined because it makes clean-up easy-lay chicken breasts and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any other herbs or spices you are using front and back. If your breasts are especially big use a bit more salt. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The thickest part of the breast will feel very firm when pressed and the juices will run clear if cut when the chicken is cooked through.
4. Let cool, shred and use in a recipe, or freeze to have some on-hand.

by Simple Recipe Pro

Made this recipe?
I'd love to see how you rocked it! Share your photo on Instagram with the hashtag #heatherlikesfood  --It will totally make my day to see it!