The Whole Enchilada

I am very wimpy when it comes to spices. Growing up, mild salsa used to set my mouth on fire. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be making something with chipotle peppers for dinner AND feeding it to my child I would have laughed in your face. There would have been no way I could have stomached the heat. I guess I've evolved, or at least my taste buds have.

Since the Blockette and I are still overcome with the creeping oozy gooey snot blecky blecky yucks, I thought something spicy for dinner might clear up our sinuses. Enter elly says opa!'s Chicken Enchiladas with Chipotle sauce. This is the only enchilada recipe I've ever made so I don't know if it is the best out there, but I like it. I especially like that you make your own sauce. I did the math once, and for the amount of sauce this recipe makes, it is cheaper to make your own than to buy the premade stuff. Plus, you get the added benefit of knowing exactly what is in your sauce.

A lot of people might think that enchiladas are a fussy dish. I actually thought they were less fussy than lasagna. I used leftover precooked chicken and leftover chopped onions so that saved a lot of prep work. The sauce heats up while you are warming the filling. The tortillas needed to be warmed, but I warmed one up while I was filling another. If you get an assembly line going the whole process zips along. I would guess the whole process from start to table, which included baking and cool down time, took about an hour. That's good for me since I'm not the speediest in the kitchen. (Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals usually take me an hour.)

Blockette does not like this dish. I knew this going into the meal and I prepared myself for the drama. I kept telling her that the spices would help her feel better. She ate her enchilada with plenty of whining and complaining, but I do think it helped get the nasal goo flowing, at least for a little while.

I changed absolutely nothing in this recipe. The first time I made it I used 2 chipotles,. Woah, too spicy for me. This time I only used one, much better on my system. I think you could totally omit the chipotle if you can't handle the heat. The sauce has plenty of other spices for flavor.

Chipotle chicken enchiladas from Elly says opa!
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
12-14 corn tortillas
canola oil or cooking spray
2 cups Mexican blend or cheese of your choice, shredded
1 batch enchilada sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a large baking/casserole dish with cooking oil and then pour about 1/2 c enchilada sauce into the baking dish, barely covering the bottom. In a large pan, heat the oil. Then add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, chicken, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a little while over low to combine the flavors. Heat another pan over med and spray with cooking spray. Add the corn tortillas one at a time, leaving in the pan for about 2 or 3 seconds per side - enough to make them pliable and have a little taste of oil. Add 1/2 cheese to chicken filling, or just put about 1 T cheese in each tortilla. Fill each tortilla, roll, and place seam side down in the prepared dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas, making an even layer and coating all enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 c cheese. Cover with foil and bake 20 min. Remove foil and bake an additional 5.

Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 chipotles in adobo (depending on how hot you want it), minced, plus 2 tsp. adobo sauce
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper

In a med pan, heat oil over med. Add onions and cook til translucent. Stir in garlic and chipotle and after 30 sec, add flour. Cook off the raw flour and add broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, bay leaf, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer to combine flavors as your prepare the rest of the meal. Season to taste if necessary. Puree if you want.