Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas


Is it true that farmer's market season will soon be over?  I'm enjoying the produce hoarding while it lasts.  Every week I head over and pick up my juicy Palisades peaches, fresh sweet corn on the cob and of course, now that they are in season, fresh roasted Hatch green chiles. 

Except.

Yes, except that this past weekend  the line for the chiles was atrocious and they couldn't roast them to keep up--Coloradans love their fire roasted Hatch chiles it seems.  The options were to either skip green chiles for a week or figure out another plan.  Since going without chiles even one week wasn't really a true option at any point, I picked some up at the grocery store and tried this roasting business myself. 


I'm fairly embarrassed to admit it was so very easy.  Super simple easy.  Super deduper easy.  My whole life I've labored under the conviction that chiles had to be roasted by those super cool guys who put them in the large cylindrical bingo cage and spin them while they roast.  

But alas, these can be done at home.

Throw them on a grill preheated to high and just toss them around every couple of minutes.  Literally.  No oiling them, no laying them evenly across the grates.  Grab a pair of tongs and toss, toss, toss.   Remove when charred and place in plastic bag.  Tie tight and let steam so peels will slide right off. 


When the chiles are cool you can slide the skins off, remove the stem and seeds and rinse to clean.  Then you just dice them up.  The hardest part by far is the cleaning and you still have to do that with the roasted ones you buy at the market.  Even better is the cost savings--roasted chiles at the farmer's market are $3.50/lb.  Home roasted chiles are $.99/lb.  I'll still end up supporting the man that spins them at the market because I always want him to be there happily spinning and fragrancing the air with roasted chile goodness, but $.99/lb is the kind you buy to dice up and store in baggies in the freezer for your winter green chile feasts. 


When you buy chiles each week though, it becomes a challenge as to what to make next.  I've made omelets, chicken green chili, green chile tortilla soup, quesadillas, and about a zillion other things I could think of.  This weekend I was craving enchiladas.  

I threw some chicken on the grill, shredded it up and mixed it with diced chiles, grated cheese and a bit of enchilada sauce.  Roll filling inside of a corn tortilla....


Gratuitious Boston Terrier shot. 


Pour enchilada sauce into bottom of baking dish, add enchiladas and top with enchilada sauce and some more green chiles because these are green chile enchiladas.  You might opt for the medium or mild chiles if the spice level is a bit higher than your taste buds like.  I used hot chiles and these were on fire.  In that delicious green chile way of course. 


Top with more cheese


Bake for 20 minutes and serve.   I'd never had green chile enchiladas before they are a little reminiscent of chili rellenos.  How bad can that be right?




Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups dice green chiles
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can (28 oz) green chile enchilada sauce
corn tortillas (room temp)

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 325
  2. In a large bowl, mix together shredded chicken, 1 cup green chiles and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  
  3. Add 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce and mix well
  4. Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce across the bottom of an 11x7(ish) baking dish
  5. Spread a heaping spoonful of chicken filling down the center of a tortilla.  Roll sides up and place seam side down in prepared baking dish.  Repeat until all filling is gone. 
  6. Top with 1 cup of sauce and remaining 1/2 cup of green chiles.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over top
  7. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbling. 

8 comments:

Lila said...

Oh we do love green chilies on our dinner table. We have a mexican restaurant in town that makes the best green chili that I'm too afraid to try it at home since I couldn't begin to compete. But maybe I'll try enchiladas since they are so different!

Ellie said...

Gratuitous dog shots are the best kinds of photos in my book. I love the pictures you post on here of Brooklyn. She is just a sweet little smushy face! The enchiladas look scrumptious also!

Bronwyn said...

I completely agree that boston terrier photos are always welcome! Riley has the same "freckles" across his chest!

Lila said...

My husband left a not so subtle note to make these. It read "Make CSBSs enchiladas" Isn't it nice to know you are an official abbreviation in our house? :) They do look to good!

Anonymous said...

Theese look sooooo great! I don't make enchiladas very often because they always seem to make a mess but that's because every recipe I use involves dipping the tortillas in sauce first and then filling and rolling. I like the less mess route for sure!

I love that little doggy face!

Lila said...

We grill roast our Hatch chilies every year. We buy them by the bushel, roast them ourselves and sit down for an afternoon of peeling and seeding while watching a great movie. It is a lot of work but then you have chiles in the freezer all winter long to make green chili (we smother just about everything with green chili). Love this take on using them!

Monica said...

Brooklyn is growing up so fast! What a cutie. I tried roasting chiles a few years ago and couldn't get them peeled. Now that I know I have to steam them it makes more sense.
Oh, and don't those guys sell at the flea market in the winter? I remember they used to always be there....

Lila said...

Yum!