Comfort food for sure. Red Enchiladas.

Comfort food for sure. Red Enchiladas!! I always make red enchiladas after making my homemade chicken broth! Why? Because if I’m using whole chickens to make my broth, then I have a bunch of cooked chicken to use! The chicken shreds so easily after it’s been boiled, and it has lots of flavor. I know that some cooks throw away their boiled chicken… but I just can’t fathom throwing away good food! Especially when it’s perfect for enchiladas! Because I always double my batch of broth in my big stock pot, I always have two whole cooked chickens. Which is GREAT, because red enchiladas also freeze very well. So I make one for dinner and one to freeze. And if you saw my post for my green enchiladas, you’ll know that I always double that one too. It’s a fabulous way to start building up freezer meals! There are always days that I don’t feel like cooking or we have plans that don’t allow time to cook a homemade dinner. But when my freezer is stock piled up with pre-made, homemade, meals it doesn’t matter. If you don’t have the chicken meat from making broth, just buy a rotisserie chicken. And don’t forget to save that carcass for your next batch of broth! 🙂

Ingredients for one batch:

• 1 whole chicken, cooked and shredded. Or about 4-5 cups.
• 1 large can (28 oz.) of your favorite red enchilada sauce. (I used Las Palmas medium)
• 1/2 white or sweet onion, minced (I use my food processor to mince it super fine)
• 1 pound mexican blend shredded cheese.
• 15 or so corn tortillas
• vegetable oil (if using for tortillas)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, shred chicken and add enough enchilada sauce to coat. Set aside.
3. In a medium size skillet, over medium heat, heat up enough oil that it will cover one tortilla. (***Because of health reasons, I can’t eat too much fat or I’ll get ill. If you’re watching your weight or fat intake, you can skip this step and do what I do. It’s not as flavorful, but in my case a necessity 🙁  I make sure I get very soft, good quality corn tortillas. Wrap them up with a slightly damp kitchen towel and microwave for about 30 seconds. This makes them super soft and pliable so they don’t break when rolling up your enchiladas.)
4. ***If you’re all about the flavor then take your stack of corn tortillas and put one at a time in the hot oil until they become soft and bubble up a bit. This happens very fast so be careful not to over cook them! Place the cooked tortillas in a stack on a clean plate.
5. Now it’s time to assemble! Start with a warm tortilla, place some chicken, onion, and cheese inside. Roll them up and place in a 13 x 9 pyrex dish. Squeeze them in nice and tight.
6. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top.
7. Cover with more cheese.
8. Bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and cheesy!
9. Serve with a big dollop of sour cream!

Enjoy!!