Firecracker Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe for chicken and cheese enchiladas a few years ago in a Rachael Ray Magazine.  These enchiladas are awesome. They are cheesy, smoky, rich and delicious.   I’m still not sure how Rachael Ray is able to make everything in 25 minutes… I have never been able to complete this dish in less than a couple of hours, but regardless of how long it takes to cook, it is definitely worth it.

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

I’ve made these enchiladas a few times, but I have only made it using the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce once.  Lucky’s never had the chipotle peppers stocked, so I have always used a can of diced green chili peppers and mixed them with adobo sauce separately.  In a pinch this will work, but the dish is really so much better using chipotle peppers.  The smokiness of the chipotle peppers and the spiciness of the adobo sauce is really what make this dish extra delicious.   I also like to add black olives and I use extra spices in the enchilada sauce.

Unfortunately, the pictures do not do this dish justice… but despite the sloppy presentation, I’m sure you will love them.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3-4 chopped green onions (optional garnish)
1 small can of sliced black olives (optional)
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
One 29-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
One 2-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 pound muenster cheese, grated
3 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, seeded and finely chopped
Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas

Preparation
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add two-thirds of the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups water and the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic and salt; bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes; set aside.

Chicken, Cheese, Chipotle Peppers, Olives Mix

2. Preheat the oven to 400*. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, olives, two-thirds of the cheese and the chilies.

3. Spread 1 cup of the enchilada sauce in a large casserole dish. Dip 1 tortilla in the remaining sauce to coat both sides and transfer to a plate. Fill with chicken mixture, roll up and transfer to the casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Dip tortillas in sauce and fill with chicken mix

Dip, Fill, Roll ’em up!

Dip tortillas in sauce and fill with chicken mix

Top enchiladas with remaining sauce, onion, cheese, and olives

4. Top with the remaining onion, sauce and cheese; bake until golden.  Baking time varies, but I cooked these for about 20 minutes and checked them, and then kept cooking until they were hot and the cheese was golden brown.

Firecracker Chicken Enchiladas

5.  Serve with a green salad or other vegetable side.