White Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas are the quintessential casserole dinner. They're not just neatly tucked away in one baking sheet. They're not even only soaked in a delicious sauce (which could be red, green, white, etc...). They're also individually wrapped, making servings a breeze. So many wins for the enchilada.

White chicken enchiladas aren't exactly new to the blog. I made them years ago - and honestly, I can't believe I've been at this as long as I have - and it has been overdue time for a redo. I mean, for one, my photography skills have most certainly upgraded the past several years. But I also really like cheese, and a cheese sauce of any kind is pretty much unbeatable when poured atop a stuffed tortilla.

The chicken is the simple part here. I stuck with the Pressure Cooker Taco Chicken recipe that's kind of become my basis for TexMex dishes and added cheese and rice to make my enchilada filling. There was no plain ol' Monterey Jack available, but that's quite alright - a mix was fine here.

For the sauce, I melted butter in a skillet, then added my flour and browned it. This is kind of like making alfredo sauce; the flour and butter mixture becomes the thickener. Of course, every time I do this, I think about making a gumbo roux, where you'd let it cook significantly longer until it darkened in color. But this one, I let it cook about a minute and kept stirring the whole time.

I then added my broth and some sliced jalapeño (or a can of green chilies, for the less spice-minded) and heated it until it was simmering and the flour had dissolved. The last step was mixing in some more cheese (some don't put cheese in the sauce but I like it that way) and  Greek yogurt (or sour cream).

The result was a thick, cheese sauce.

I generally prefer corn tortillas for enchiladas so softened those in the microwave first, the stuffed each with some of the chicken filling and placed them in a casserole dish. Flour tortillas work fine, but the reason I eat corn tortillas here is because they bake very well, and since they are served via spatula or other large utensil, it's fine if they fall apart.

Once I had all the tortillas stuffed, I poured my sauce over them, folding the tortillas closed as I worked, then topped with the remaining cheese.

It only baked for about 25 minutes and was ready to roll.

Melty delight and a good mood were had.

So much cheese! These things were not super spicy, despite the jalapeños; there is definitely room for more peppers to kick it up a few more notches. I really dug the creamy sauce. Though classic red enchiladas have a special place in my heart, there's a time and a place for cheese to shine like the bright little star it is.

White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken (1-2 chicken breasts - I used Pressure Cooker Taco Chicken)

1 cup cooked rice

2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (or mix of Monterey jack and other cheeses)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

1 jalapeño, diced (or 1 can green chilies)

8-10 corn tortillas

Instructions:

Mix shredded chicken, cooked rice, and 1 cup of shredded cheese together in a bowl. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add broth and jalapeño and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then slowly stir in sour cream until well combined. To make the enchiladas, heat the tortillas for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to soften slightly. Scoop chicken mixture into the tortillas and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Fold closed, then scoop the the cheese sauce over the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes.

adapted from white chicken enchiladas