Green Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

Green Enchiladas New Mexico Twist

(Tomatillo Sauce)

Enchiladas are a staple in the New Mexican repertoire of foods. The first time you have a Green Enchilada you may have one smothered in green(what we say when we mean green chilé) or you may have one smothered in red(again, what we say when we mean red chilé.)

It is quite acceptable to ask “Which chilé is hotter?” As, chilés come in mild, medium and hot in both red or green!

It is also acceptable to ask for Christmas and that means half and half!

Many restaurants make their red hotter and many make their green hotter. It would be helpful to let your server know if you are from the area or not. After living here a bit, you get use to the hotter varieties and start craving them.

Still, it is the piquant taste of the New Mexico famous Hatch Chilé that is special in the green made with chile.

This is the beginning of chile harvesting season here in New Mexico. There will be huge burlap bags of chiles to purchase in the stores and outside the stores there will be large fire roasters where you wait in line to have your chiles roasted.

OR you may have a green chilé enchilada smothered in a tomatillo sauce. This is about those enchiladas!

We worked with tomatillos earlier (this week) and learned just how easy it is to make a nice Tomatillo Salsa for chips. Check out that recipe. (linked)

Tomatillo Green Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1- ½ pounds of tomatillos

I work with canned tomatillos (1 lb. 12 oz can) here but you may buy and cook

fresh tomatillos, see Tomatillo Salsa for instructions on cooking tomatillos.

½ - ¾ finely chopped onion

1 minced garlic clove

2 T. vegetable oil (not olive oil here)

1 1/3 C. chicken broth

1/3 C. mild green chilés, canned or frozen (thawed)

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese

4 ounces sour cream (½ of a container usually)

¼ C. fresh chopped cilantro

I will use my cilantro powder as my cilantro stand is still too little.

8 tortillas (wheat) both wheat or corn work fine

1 C. cooked chicken chopped

I use canned chicken but any left-over cooked chicken would do.

1 C. Mexican shredded cheese

I use Monterrey Jack and Cheddar mixture here

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Spray a 9” X 9” glass casserole dish with a butter no-stick spray.

Drain the tomatillos and dice them

Reserve them

Sauté the onions in the oil (add a bit of salt to brown/caramelize the onions)

Sauté the garlic in the olive oil being careful to not burn the garlic

Add the reserved diced tomatillos

Add the chicken broth

Cook the mixture until boiling and reduce the heat

Be careful this doesn’t burn!

Simmer while stirring until the mixture thickens slightly, this takes about 5 plus minutes, again don’t let this burn

Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the heat

Stir in the cilantro now

Melt/mix in the cream cheese and the sour cream in the mixture until smooth

THE SAUCE SHOULD NOT BE BOILING WHEN YOU MIX IN THE MILK PRODUCTS!!

This will make a thick and delicious sauce

Set the sauce aside while you….

Fill each tortilla with a spoonful of chopped chicken

Roll each tortilla with the chicken in it

Nestle each tortilla (rolled opening down) next to the other in the casserole

Pour the tomatillo sauce over the nestled and cozy enchiladas

Sprinkle the shredded Mexican cheese over the dish.

Bake in the oven until the cheese on top gets all bubbly and browns a bit

That’s it. This is a home-run dish in flavor.

NOTE: I always have left-over sauce. This sauce makes an excellent hot or warm or cold chip dip!