Chicken Enchiladas with Real California Monterey Jack Cheese and Sour Cream

Did you know that enchiladas are a great way to clean out your fridge? Whether you have leftover chicken, dairy, veggies, or all of the above (!), enchiladas can be a fabulous way to reduce waste in the kitchen. On a typical week, I tend to have tortillas, peppers, and onions hanging around in my fridge, so all I have to do is pick up a couple ingredients, including Real California Milk dairy products, to get these enchiladas going! Sometimes I even have rotisserie chicken leftover which makes these enchiladas super yummy!

We all know #CADairy products can be relied on as a healthy and tasty way to consume essential vitamins and minerals, but did you also know that sustainably feeding a global population that is expected to grow to ten billion by 2050 will require collaboration, as well as an innovative and efficient food system? California’s dairy farm families are well-positioned to play a major role and are committed to continuous progress by maximizing resources and minimizing pollution. So, when purchasing dairy, I encourage you to look for nutritious Real California Milk products that nourish people.


Chicken Enchiladas with Real California Monterey Jack Cheese and Sour Cream

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 4

 

Ingredients
2 ½ pounds skinless chicken legs, thighs, and breasts
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
5 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 ½ lbs tomatillos, husks removed
1 medium onion, halved
1-2 medium serrano or jalapeno peppers, roughly chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil plus additional for frying
12 corn tortillas
½ cup Real California Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Real California Milk light sour cream or Mexican crema
1 small white onion, finely chopped
½ bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped
4 birdseye chilies, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Directions
In a large stockpot, add chicken, bay leaf, peppercorns, 2 cloves garlic, and ½ onion. Add cold water several inches above chicken level and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 150F (the temperature will rise when the chicken rests). Reserve ½ cup chicken broth and transfer chicken to a platter, breaking up the chicken a little with two forks to speed cooling.

Meanwhile, add tomatillos to a large saucepan with 3 cloves garlic and ½ onion. Add cold water slightly above tomatillo level. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, or until tomatillos are soft. Strain tomatillos and garlic and set aside to cool.

Once tomatillos and garlic have cooled a little, add to a blender with reserved chicken broth and peppers. Blend on high until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and blend again for 10 seconds to combine.

In a shallow skillet over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Lightly fry tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side and transfer to a paper towel lined plate, adding new paper towels between each tortilla.

To plate, fold tortillas in half and slightly overlap them in an even layer (3 tortillas per person). Spoon over a layer of tomatillo sauce followed by a layer of shredded cheese, chicken, Mexican crema, diced onion, and cilantro. Top with additional tomatillo sauce, and garnish with birdseye chilies if desired.


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Chicken Tikka Masala Enchiladas

[Sponsored]

These chicken tikka masala enchiladas are outrageously delicious! I bet you can almost taste them from where you’re sitting.

I’ve been such a big fan of Maya Kaimal Foods since I was a youngster in college, so when they reached out to me for a recipe post, I was over the moon! Maya Kaimal’s simmer sauces are to die for and are truly incredible because you can make the tastiest Indian dishes in minutes. 

My college recipe list with Maya Kaimal simply consisted of a protein (usually chicken), a few hot peppers to simmer with the sauce, plus some cilantro and lime wedges to top it all off. Simple, right? 

Now that I have some more cooking skills under my belt and basically work part-time in my kitchen (!), I decided to come up with a dish that is still simple and easy enough for a novice chef, but just complicated enough in flavor for those of us who love to cook! 

The flavors of Maya Kaimal’s simmer sauce truly came out beautifully with this enchilada concept and so wonderfully paired with the cilantro chutney. Fusion at its best. I dare you to give it a go!

Chicken Tikka Masala Enchiladas

Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 medium jalapenos, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lb chicken thighs, chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1 (12 oz) jar Maya Kaimal Tiikka Masala Sauce
¼ cup heavy cream
Juice of ½ lime
16 (6-inch) tortillas
3/4 cup cotija cheese, divided
1 small white onion, sliced into rings

Chutney
3/4 cup green onions, roughly chopped
2 serrano peppers, roughly chopped
2 tbsp ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 small bunch cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To Finish
Cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion and chilies have softened, about 4 minutes. Add chicken, and brown for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stir in 3 tbsp Tikka Masala sauce, heavy cream, and lime juice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes, until thickened.

Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish with 1/3 cup tikka masala sauce. 

Heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds each. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and sprinkle with a little cheese. Roll up the tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with remaining tikka masala sauce, remaining cheese, and white onions. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted slightly.

Meanwhile, add all of the chutney ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Serve enchiladas on plates garnished with cilantro. Spoon over chutney and squeeze over lime wedges.

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