Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce and an award!

First of all (and I kid you not) I had this post scheduled for today way last week.    Imagine the coincidence then that Jen at Jaunita’s Cocina almost simultaneously awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award on March 24, as I drew inspiration from her Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos.

Fate is weird (or should I use nirvana?   I can never remember the exact difference between the two.)   Whatever.    Thanks Jen!!!!!!    You made me very happy!

Now on to the original post scheduled for today:

The Hubs loves green sauce—green chile sauce, tomatillo sauce, a combination of both.    This makes him happy.

So, in December when we were in Santa Fe, my goal was to make the Farmers Market and get some green chili powder.   As usual, I did not buy enough.   I guess we need to plan another trip soon!

I wanted to surprise him with green chile enchiladas and I had had my eye on one of Jen’s recipes at Juanita’s Cocina that looked marvelous to mod.

Hey---I got a new camera app!

Here is the recipe that is based on a green chile sauce recipe from Savory Spice and Jen’s Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos.

Green Chile Sauce
Based on Savory Spice

1 T. olive oil
1 c. chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c. green chile powder
1 c. water
1 c. chicken stock
½ T. white wine vinegar
½ t. ground coriander
¼ t. Mexican oregano
¼ t. cayenne powder (more or less depending our your taste buds)

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet.   Add onions and garlic and sauté about five minutes or until onions are soft.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together green chile powder, water, stock, vinegar and spices.

After onions are soft, add chile sauce to sauté pan.   Heat to boiling and then reduce to simmer.   Simmer 15-20 minutes.

All simmery, bubbly, and spicy!

Set aside.

For the Creamy Enchiladas
Based on Jen’s Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 c.  La Victoria Thick n’ Chunky Salsa Verde (or any tomatillo based salsa), divided
1/2 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. onion powder
2 c. chopped poached chicken breasts
1 1/2 c. grated cheese (your choice), divided
10-12 corn tortillas (My favorite kind is La Tortilla Factory Fiber & Flax corn tortillas.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Prepare a 9 x 9 inch backing dish with cooking spray.   (I used my favorite enchilada pan.)

Mix cream cheese, 1/4 cup salsa, vinegar and spices in a large bowl.

A potato masher works great for this.

Stir in chicken and 1 cup cheese.

Place about another 1/4 cup salsa in the bottom of your baking dish.

Warm the tortillas a bit (it makes them easier to roll), and stuff with about two tablespoons of the chicken mixture.     Roll up and place seam-side down on top of the salsa in the bottom of the dish.  Repeat.  (I used 10 tortillas.)

Place green sauce and the rest of the salsa verde on top of the enchiladas.   Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top.   Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

My favorite baking dish. It is about 6 x 14. You can also see that I used more than 1/2 cup of cheese here!

Remove and eat!

The Hubs deemed these a keeper!

And, I am loving my new app!

Thanks, Jen, for the inspiration!

Now, back to that great award!

There are a few guidelines for receiving the award!

  • Thank the person that deemed you worthy of this award!   (Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jen!!!!)
  • Include a link to their blog! (Juanita’s Cocina has a new look too—check it out!)
  • Select up to 15 bloggers that you have recently discovered or follow regularly and nominate them to receive the award as well!
  • Tell the person who nominated you seven things about yourself!
  • Include the set of rules in your post!   (Here they are.)
  • Inform each blogger you’re nominating that you did so by leaving a comment on their blog!

Here are the recipients of the Versatile Blogger award:

Jessica at Inquiring Chef
Jessica is “an American that has been temporarily (and happily) displaced to Bangkok.”   I loved keeping up with her adventures in Thailand.    The photography and observations are fantastic.

Kim at Live Life
Kim just posts the best recipes.   Her last peanut butter cookie recipe was to die for.    They are the best ever!   (Seriously.)

Veronica at Veronica’s Cornucopia
Talk about versatile.   Veronica posts great recipes, hilarious observations, and she has the coolest nails!    (She also gave me a nice shout-out this past week.)

Rhonda at The Kitchen Witch
What can I say about Rhonda?   She is too cool for school.   I was assigned her as an SRC buddy this past year.   She rocks!

Miss Bosslady at Mind over Batter
She cracks me up!      Really, her posts are always hilarious.

Aimee from Chapel Hill to Chickenville
I had Aimee for a SRC assignment in November and I have tried to keep up with her and her brood (pun intended).    Talk about a versatile woman!    (The seven things below came from my original SRC post on Aimee.)

Seven Crazy Things About Me

  1. I was once on Jeopardy!   I won one game with an answer of A Streetcar Named Desire in final jeopardy.    But I ask, who the heck has ever heard of Yuban coffee??   This was the  final answer to the game I lost.   (Alex is pretty aloof and it is way too stressful to be fun!)
  2. My husband and I cancel out each others votes on every election.  In fact, at the last primary vote he had just come from a big meeting and was in a suit and tie.   I had just come from yoga.   Could we have looked any more stereotypical?   (We always freak the little old precinct ladies out.)
  3. I broke my nose in high school when I ran into one of my best friends while we were running “suicides.”
  4. Speaking of high school, I couldn’t decided if I wanted to marry Rick Springfield or Adam Ant.   (I had issues, OK?)
  5. Now, if I weren’t very happily married (hear that honey?), I would marry Anthony Bourdain (and yes, I know he is married, too.)
  6. If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be New Mexico (preferably in a yurt) and I would drive an old neon painted psychedelic school bus selling our wares by the side of the road.
  7. My favorite Disney character is Dopey.

Please check out these very versatile (and award-worthy) bloggers

16 comments to Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce and an award!

  • Congrats on the award and another fabulous recipe 😀
    So good to know more about you!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  • You are aware that #6 just validates #2? I love finding out more about the people behind the writing. This was very fun! I’m loving that chicken enchilada recipe too. Hubby’s been telling me that I need to make enchiladas soon so I think you’ve just given me the recipe I need!

  • You are one of the most thoughtful bloggers around. Hugs! Me likey the Verde! I have never seen green chile powder, but no surprise considering where I’m at. I’m very curious about it, I may need to go online and order some.

    • Eliot

      Rhonda—
      http://thechileshop.com/ This is where I actually got it in Santa Fe and I may have to order online now too.

      Jen—
      As soon as I get that yurt, I will invite you over! 🙂

      Veronica—
      Really, I have a hippie vibe? LOL

      Kim—
      I agree, that Rick has aged well. (Probably much better than Adam Ant!)

      Thanks everybody for the comments. This was a fun post!

  • I miss my home state of New Mexico SO much. I wish I could afford to live in Santa Fe, but alas, on a school employee’s salary, not gonna happen.

    I’m glad you enjoyed your award. I’m glad that you liked the chicken enough to turn it into something so fabulous my head is spinning! And I’m glad that you’re my bloggy friend.

    I have to try that tomatillo sauce! Like NOW!

    P.S.~ I also want to live in a yurt.

  • This reminds me of an enchilada recipe I make, but with a green chili sauce instead of sour cream. I’ll have to try this soon.

  • What a treat… two bonuses today!!! First of all, thank you for the award nomination. Your lovely comments always bring a smile to my face. And secondly, these enchiladas!! While I’ve never been to Santa Fe, it’s one of my husband’s fondest memories from his Air Force days. And Green chili powder… sounds like a must for my kitchen! Looks like I will have to add Santa Fe to my travel list!
    Jeopardy, huh??!! Too cool! I’ve no where near the intelligence to make it past the first round, so I’m ultimately impressed with your success. I’m with you on Rick Springfield! Just saw him in People magazine, and while he did look older I most certainly couldn’t have aged that much in the same amount of time!! Welcome middle age!
    Thanks again, Debra! You made my day!

  • The enchiladas sound so good! Congrats on the award and thank you so much for sharing-you’re a sweetheart! You know, Debra, you kinda come off as a hippy in your revelations. 😉 You’d get along SO well with my sister, Danielle, the one who makes homemade soaps. She is such a hippy! She would love selling soaps out of a bus with you! 🙂

  • Congratulations on your award, and that enchiladas look spectacular–I love anything with spicy green sauce. Also, love the fun facts–I once auditioned for youth Jeopardy but was sadly deemed not worthy.

  • I love enchiladas but when you add the tomatilla sauce it takes it to a whole new level – sounds wonderful/1

  • What a fun post–I’ll have to check out some of the bloggers. I do love green sauce. Also love your serving dish, classy.

  • I just love enchiladas! they are delicious and I like them even better with green sauce, great recipe!

  • You were on Jeopardy?! You’re my new hero. That’s my secret dream. Not so secret, now.

  • Debra – I’m so honored – thank you! And I’m equally thrilled to be sharing space in your post today with these other fantastic bloggers AND this fantastic recipe! I will be trying these Taquitos soon – I adore Mexican, but particularly when it’s baked in one pan like this one. Easy and delicious. Thank you again!

  • Yummy!! What is it about Mexican food that just screams comfort? It is fun to visit blogs and learn a bit about the blogger; what a fun way to build community.

  • Thank you sweet friend!! So I really want to know what is your new photo app? I love the look. I really like that baking dish too.