This is another one of those times I had to scratch my head for what to fix for dinner.
We had some leftover fried chicken from the night before but I didn’t like to eat that leftover tonight so I thought of taking the breading out of the chicken and use the chicken meat for enchiladas. I thought that was a good idea so I assembled what I needed. I had some corn tortillas in the freezer and a can of Hatch Green Enchilada Sauce in the pantry. Perfect!
However, the corn tortillas were frozen for a while that they got a little dried. They were cracking when I softened them in hot oil and would probably break if I tried to roll them so I decided to make a casserole instead.
- 1 Can Green Enchilada sauce (I used Hatch brand) divided (You can also use the red enchilada sauce if you prefer)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (fresh or pre-cooked from leftover), cubed
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Or mixed Mexican cheeses
- Corn Tortillas
- Oil or butter
- Ripe olives, Sliced preferred
At the table:
- Pico de Gallo (chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped cilantro)
- Sour Cream
If using fresh chicken, cut it in small cubes and put in a saucepot. Add ¼ cup water and half of green enchilada sauce in the saucepot. Simmer the chicken in the sauce for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove from heat and let cool a little to handle.
If you are using already cooked chicken, cube or shred it then add half a can of the green enchilada sauce without water. Let the chicken absorb the flavor of the sauce for about 15 minutes or so.
Soften the tortillas by frying in hot skillet with scant oil or butter one at a time for a few seconds on both sides. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
Line the baking pan (glass pan is better) with tortillas then spread some chicken mixture on the tortilla then some grated cheese. Add another layer of tortilla then repeat until all the chicken is used. I’d say about two to three layers. End with tortillas on the top then pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on them and top with about ½ cup of shredded cheese.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheeses are melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with the ripe olives and a few cilantro leaves.
If you are using a glass-baking pan, you can also cook them in the microwave until the cheeses are melted. But you can also bake it in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until the cheeses are melted.
Dab some sour cream and add the chopped tomatoes with onion and cilantro (pico de gallo) at the table or before serving. You can also add shredded lettuce if you like.
Mexican rice and/or refried beans are good sides with this dish. Enjoy.
Kusina ni Norie 
You must be logged in to post a comment.