Enchiladas Verde

Enchiladas are one of my favorite things to make when having a group over for dinner. Preparation takes a good bit of time, but is not difficult. Great leftover and fun to change it up each time.

• 12 tomatillos, husked and rinsed (Or canned)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed
• 1 red onion, quartered
• Splash white vinegar
• 3 Garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• Salt
• 3 Bell peppers (yellow, orange, & red)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion,
• sliced 3 garlic cloves,
• chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups canned chicken stock
• 1 deli roasted chicken, about 3 pounds, boned, meat shredded
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro,
• chopped 12 oz Queso Fresca
• 1/2 pound Monterey jack cheese , shredded
• 12 large corn tortillas
  Salt and pepper to taste.
  

Make the salsa: Put the tomatillos, jalapenos, and onion in a saucepan with the vinegar and water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and poach until the tomatillos are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain. Put the vegetables in a blender, add the cumin, and puree. Add the cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt, and pulse to combine. Set aside.


Heat a 2-count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook until softened and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to over-crowd the pan, in order to get a nice browning. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the cumin and cook 1 minute. Then sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring, 1 more minute. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring to make sure the flour doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan; the liquid will thicken. Fold in the chicken (spinach works well, too), diced peppers, and cilantro, and season well with salt and pepper.

To assemble the dish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Get yourself a large baking dish. Dip a tortilla into the tomatilla salsa and put it on a cutting board. Put a big scoop of the chicken mixture in the center, sprinkle with a little of the cheese, and roll the tortilla like a cigar to enclose the filling. Use a spatula to place it seam side down in the baking dish. Continue to fill all of the tortillas and put them in the baking dish. Pour the remaining tomatilla salsa over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20-30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top.