Enchiladas (and mexican food in general) was something I didn’t have the opportunity to taste until we moved to the States. It was a brand new flavor profile I was suddenly able to explore and though I didn’t take to ALL of it at first, I slowly tried and loved more and more of it. These days, I’m exploring it in the kitchen more too and these enchiladas have since been added to my arsenal of secret-weapon-recipes. It’s great for a quick weekday meal for the family, but can easily feed a crowd at a gathering too and I’ve even made it as drop-off meal blessings for friends – usually with a margarita or two, especially for new parents!
Ingredients:
Now, I’m not claiming this as an authentic mexican dish by ANY means. It’s merely inspired by the dishes I had when we lived in California and on vacation in Ensanada, Mexico. Just looking at the ingredients will show you this fact, specifically the use of alfredo sauce! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Rotisserie Chicken – I usually get these from costco, but any local grocery store should carry it. I debone it and shred the meat and whatever I don’t use, I refrigerate for use in a salad or sandwich for lunch the next day.
- Green Chile Enchilada Sauce – I usually find this in the international section of my local grocery store. Just make sure it’s the green chile and not the regular red enchilada sauce.
- Alfredo Sauce – Any alfredo will do, although I don’t recommend getting something with an extra flavoring like basil. I have used Traditional, Four Cheese or even Roasted Garlic and each tasted great in this recipe.
- Tortillas – I recommend using regular sized soft flour tortillas. You can use taco-sized if you want each individual enchilada to be a smaller portion, but might need to adjust the amount etc. to use up the filling.
- Lime juice – freshly squeezed or bottled is fine!
- Cilantro – Fresh! Always fresh. And chop it up a bit, but not too much. Bigger pieces give bursts of flavor in some bites.
- Mexican Style Cheese Blend – Some stores call it “Fiesta Blend.” My default is usually this for the mere reason of convenience, but I do prefer shredding my own cheese and when I do so, I usually use colby jack for this recipe.
Method:
Filling – first I mix up the shredded chicken with half of the lime juice and the chopped cilantro. I usually give it a quick mix with my hands to make sure the lime juice coats the chicken well.
Sauce – The sauce is as simple as mixing the alfredo sauce, enchilada sauce and the remaining lime juice together well. But, it’s important that you mix it in a large, wide-mouth mixing bowl where the opening is about as large as, or larger than, the tortillas.
Assembly– once I have everything mixed up, I’m ready to assemble each enchilada. First, I dip the tortilla in the sauce, making sure it covers both sides completely. Then, I place it folded, but open, in the baking dish and spoon about half a cup (or more if I’m only making 6) of the chicken filling lengthwise down the middle before rolling it up into an enchilada. Keep going until you’ve used up the tortillas and filling and then pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. I usually use a spatula to then lift each enchilada around all its edges, allowing the sauce to run underneath and around it. Lastly, I evenly sprinkle my cheese over the top, cover the dish with foil, and we’re ready for the oven!
*Note – this is the point at which, if I’m preparing these ahead of time, I can either let them sit until I’m ready to cook, or I can freeze them for later. My family never eats more than 4 enchiladas in a sitting, so if I don’t want leftovers I just split the recipe into two smaller containers (one glass and one foil) and freeze the foil one for later.
Cooking – Once I’m ready to cook, I preheat my oven to 350F and place the foil-covered dish in the oven for 30 minutes. Then I remove the foil and let it cook another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Cilantro Lime White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
- 1 can (28oz) Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
- 1 jar (15oz) Alfredo Sauce
- ½ cup Lime Juice divided in half
- ¾ cup Cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 cups Mexican Cheese Blend or freshly grated colby jack cheese
- 8 Flour Tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Add half (¼ cup) of the lime juice and the chopped cilantro to the shredded chicken and give it a quick mix with your hands to make sure the lime juice coats the chicken well.
- In a separate, large-mouth bowl, mix the alfredo sauce, enchilada sauce and the remaining lime juice together.
- To assemble each enchilada, dip a tortilla in the sauce, making sure it's covered completely on both sides. Place it folded, but open, in the baking dish and spoon about half a cup of the chicken filling lengthwise down the middle before rolling it up into an enchilada.
- Continue this process until you’ve used up the tortillas and filling and then pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Lift each enchilada with a spatula around all its edges to allow the sauce to run underneath and around it.
- Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the top and cover the dish with foil.*Note – this is the point at which, if you're preparing these ahead of time, you can either let them sit until you're ready to cook, or you can freeze them for later. You can also split the recipe into two smaller oven-safe containers and freeze one for later.
- Place the foil-covered dish in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and let it cook another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
- Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges right before serving.
