It's a new year! It's the start of a new chapter! And believe it or not, it's the 9 year anniversary of the blog! I'm not certain which of those things I am most excited about. But hey, it's 2022 so I don't have to choose just one. I can choose them all! It's anyone's guess what the year ahead may hold for all of us, but if I have any influence, then I hope it brings a healthier world, a kinder world, a less divisive world, and, in the words of poet Amanda Gorman "let us not return to what was normal, but reach toward what is next." Just the idea of 'next' makes one want to believe an infinite number of possibilities lie ahead of us.
With regard to the blog, I have given some thought to 'what's next?'. Although to be completely honest, I haven't yet set clear, measurable goals for the year ahead. While the blog is definitely what I call a labor of love, it's been more of a creative outlet rather than a livelihood. Over the years I have given some consideration to turning it into a lucrative venture, but have stopped short of making that decision. But who knows, maybe this is the year. Over the past several years, I have worked to improve my photography and food styling skills. But I still have much work to do. It's almost hard to believe there are more than 700 recipes posted to the blog! Yet, I don't yet feel done. Some are really easy to make and some are as one of my friends recently said 'should be labeled as advanced'. What I do know is that in the year ahead I want to continue to share recipes in both the sweet and savory categories as I feel we all need to have both in our lives. And maybe I try to figure out a way to explain where the recipes fall on the easy to difficult continuum. Although if rating recipes is anything like the ratings of trails or hikes taken (or not taken) in Rocky Mountain National Park or the Great Smokies, then that could be a challenge. But whatever is 'next' here on saltedsugaredspiced.com I hope you stay along for the ride in the year ahead.
In the past eight years the first recipe of the year has fallen evenly in the sweet and savory categories. With the Red Chicken Enchiladas recipe being the first one of the new year, the scales are now slightly tipped toward savory. The kind of hearty, comfort food savory and the kind easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner or assembled early in the day for a perfect weekend gathering dinner. And, if by chance, you are cooking meals for one or two, the assembled enchiladas can be frozen and thawed for cooking later. If there were ever a perfect recipe to kick off the new year, this would be the one!
Having only eight ingredients with all or most of them store-bought (see notes below), it's the kind of impressive, semi-homemade recipe that looks and tastes like you were cooking for hours. Using a store-bought rotisseire chicken instead of roasting some chicken and using canned mild Enchilada Sauce instead of making your own significantly simplifies this dish. And while you can buy already shredded mozzarella and Pepper Jack cheeses, grating your own isn't hard at all. However, if there is any non-negotiable in this recipe it's the use of corn tortillas. Not only do they make this dish look and taste more authentic, they are significantly more flavorful than flour tortillas as well as sturdy enough to hold up in the assembly process. The best way to soften up the corn tortillas so they can filled and rolled is to wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave them on high for one minute. This method is almost fail proof.
With the exception of the red enchilada sauce and reserved four ounces of the shredded mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses, all of the ingredients get mixed together in a large bowl. The messiest part of assembling the enchiladas comes next. After dipping a softened corn tortilla in the red enchilada sauce, they are hand filled with the chicken mixture, rolled and then placed seam side down in a baking dish. To make the assembly process a little easier and slightly less messy, place a small sheet pan between the pan with the sauce and bowl with the chicken mixture. This will help catch any sauce that drips off of the tortilla and make the rolling process much simpler.
After all of the enchiladas are made and placed in the baking dish, pour all of the remaining red enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle on the reserved cheese. If you are not baking the dish immediately, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Otherwise place the baking dish on a large sheet pan and place in the preheated 375 degree (F) oven and bake for 25-35 minutes.
The Red Chicken Enchiladas are done when the sauce is bubbling along the edges and the cheese has melted.
For garnishes I like to serve the enchiladas with some sliced avocado, a dish of crema, fresh lime wedges, crumbled queso fresco cheese, chopped cilantro, and a side of Cilantro or Mexican Rice.
For a complete Tex Mex dinner experience, heat up or make some queso, mix up a large bowl of this guacamole, and make some Cilantro or Mexican Rice. For beverages mix up some margaritas, chill some bottles of beer and/or Topo Chico, or chill some cans of ranch water. This gives you all the makings of a mouthwatering, hearty, memorable, almost epic meal! So invite some Tex Mex loving friends over in the weeks ahead and serve them Red Chicken Enchiladas with all the fixins. More than likely this will be one recipe in 2022 you will be putting on repeat! It might even become your signature dish!
Recipe
Red Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken, then cooled considerably (meat can come from a 2 pound rotisseire chicken or two pounds of roasted chicken)
12 ounces shredded mozzarella, divided
12 ounces shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, divided (see notes)
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sour cream
2 Tablespoons store bought taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
12 corn tortillas (use 8' or 10" sized)
28-30 ounces Mild Red Enchilada Sauce
1/2 cup (220g) black beans, drained (about a half of 15.5 oz/439g can) - optional but really good
Fresh cilantro
Crema or additional sour cream
Sliced avocado
Queso fresco cheese, crumbled
Fresh lime wedges
Cilantro or Mexican Rice
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Have a 9" x 12"/13"baking dish ready.
2. Combine 8 ounces of the shredded mozzarella, 8 ounces of the shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, the sour cream, the taco seasoning, Kosher salt, the shredded chicken and the black beans (if using). Mix until well blended.
3. Slightly warm the red enchilada sauce in a small sauce pan, but one large enough to dip in the corn tortillas. Note: Do not warm the sauce too much or your will burn your fingers.
4. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel. Heat in the microwave on high for one minute.
5. Dip the warmed, softened tortillas in the red sauce one at a time. Place a generous 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of the tortilla, roll, and place seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat until all of the tortillas have been filled. Note: You might have about a half cup of leftover chicken left. You can refrigerate, reheat and eat with tortilla chips as a snack.
6. Pour the remaining red enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Top with the remaining 4 ounces of shredded mozzarella and 4 ounces of Monterey Jack cheeses.
7. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
8. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
9. Serve with some Cilantro or Mexican Rice, sliced avocado, crema, chopped cilantro, and/or Queso Fresco cheese.
Notes: (1) I used the farmstyle thick cut Spicy Mexican Blend from Tillamook. A Monterey Jack cheese with Jalapeños and Cheddar Cheese. If you can't find it, use a good quality Monterey Jack cheese and grate it on the large hole side of the grater. (2) I used the El Milagro Corn Tortillas (sold in packages of 12). (3) I used a 10 ounce (283g) and 19 ounce (538g) can of Old El Paso (mild) Red Enchilada Sauce. (4) I used Old El Paso Taco Seasoning. The package contains more than the two Tablespoons called for in this recipe. (5) I used a rotisseire chicken but would also recommend roasting some chicken thighs as dark meat is much more flavorful than white meat. Shred the chicken while it is still warm but let it cool off considerably before you mix it with the other ingredients, particularly the cheeses. (5) If freezing the enchiladas, take out of the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Wait to put the cheese on top until ready to bake.
