In The Vile Village, the seventh book from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, those woebegone Beaudelaire children encounter Hector, an enchilada-loving boy who wishes to make his favorite bubbling cheesy dish for them. He says, “How about chicken enchiladas? That’s a Mexican dish consisting of corn tortillas rolled around a chicken filling, covered with melted cheese and a special sauce I learned from my second-grade teacher.”
Unlike Hector, I had no such teacher to inspire any sort of enchilada creation. Rather, I spied a recipe in The New York Times just the other day and set to work myself. I have little preamble here except to say that Rick Martinez’s gooey enchiladas were excellent enough to make Hector proud—and as proof, my husband asked that they be put on the list of must-make-agains.
Trader Joe’s helped with much of this: instead of buying a rotisserie chicken, we bought a package of roasted chicken strips and found our delicious, perfectly spicy enchilada sauce there, as well as our corn tortillas and vegetables.
Although the recipe doesn’t suggest it, use any of the remaining tomato and onion mixture to top your enchiladas before serving!
Ingredients
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup vegetable oil
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
½ medium white onion, chopped
1 medium poblano or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (from a roast chicken or rotisserie chicken)
2 ½ cups enchilada sauce or from 2 (10-ounce) cans
12 ounces (3 cups) sharp cheddar, shredded
Pico de gallo, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Using 2 tablespoons of the oil, lightly brush both sides of each tortilla. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high and, working in batches, cook tortillas until lightly browned and just starting to crisp but still pliable, 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. (This will prevent the tortillas from completely falling apart while cooking.) Set aside.
Step 2
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high and cook onion, poblano, garlic, tomatoes and juices, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to the skillet, 9 to 11 minutes. Stir in chicken, ½ cup enchilada sauce and ½ teaspoon salt until combined and just warmed through; remove from heat. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary.
Step 3
Pour ½ cup enchilada sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spreading to cover the bottom. Working one at a time, arrange a scant ¼ cup of chicken down the center of the tortilla, roll to secure the filling and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken, making sure they’re nestled right up against each other.
Step 4
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas, then scatter cheese on top. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is just beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm topped with pico de gallo, if desired. For leftovers, divide remaining enchiladas into portions of 2 or 3; wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap or place in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
½ medium white onion, chopped
1 medium poblano or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (from a roast chicken or rotisserie chicken)
2 ½ cups enchilada sauce or from 2 (10-ounce) cans
12 ounces (3 cups) sharp cheddar, shredded
Pico de gallo, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Using 2 tablespoons of the oil, lightly brush both sides of each tortilla. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high and, working in batches, cook tortillas until lightly browned and just starting to crisp but still pliable, 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. (This will prevent the tortillas from completely falling apart while cooking.) Set aside.
Step 2
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high and cook onion, poblano, garlic, tomatoes and juices, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to the skillet, 9 to 11 minutes. Stir in chicken, ½ cup enchilada sauce and ½ teaspoon salt until combined and just warmed through; remove from heat. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary.
Step 3
Pour ½ cup enchilada sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spreading to cover the bottom. Working one at a time, arrange a scant ¼ cup of chicken down the center of the tortilla, roll to secure the filling and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken, making sure they’re nestled right up against each other.
Step 4
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas, then scatter cheese on top. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is just beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm topped with pico de gallo, if desired. For leftovers, divide remaining enchiladas into portions of 2 or 3; wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap or place in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
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