Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Whew! It had been quite a weekend filled with lots of fun activities and much needed rest.

Saturday I spent some time shopping with my mom and got some great deals on some fall clothes for Addison. Gotta love us some Kohl's cash!! I tell you getting a Kohl's card has been worth all the savings you get to enjoy. A little shout out to my friend Deb Sees who convinced me to get one. ;) We also went grocery shopping and got free iced coffee's from Dunkin Donuts with coupons my mom had. It was a fun day!

Yesterday I decided to go un-plugged. I kept my phone and iPad off all day. Ahh, it was so nice and quiet and I didn't miss it a bit! In the morning we went to church (beyond amazing sermon on Faith), I spent time making a new low-fat roasted broccoli and fettuccini alfredo Sunday dinner. We all took naps and then went to the park to play tennis in the evening. It was such a beautiful day! Me oh my!

So, needless to say I've been wanting to post about this recipe I tried this week. I found the picture of it on Pinterest but the recipe is adapted from American's Test Kitchen.

Are you ready for it? It's THE YUMMIEST chicken enchildas I've ever had or made. I'm so excited to share it with you guys. So here's the recipe:

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
• 1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part reaches 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese.

Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

I tell you it is just divine. You'll love it. 

P.S.  It took me about an hour and a half to make it the first time, but now that I know the recipe I'm sure I can cut that down to about an hour. Making the homemade enchilada sauce just takes a bit of time, but it's worth it.