Enchiladas Verdes (Green Enchiladas with Chicken & Cheese)

Enchiladas verdes has been one of my all-time favorite dishes for almost my entire life. So, naturally, I am drawn to every version that I come across! I liked how this version included cheese in the filling rather than melted over the top. These enchiladas were also extra saucy- loved it.

This recipe was adapted from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street magazine. I used poached chicken thighs but rotisserie chicken meat could be used as a shortcut.

We ate the enchiladas garnished with chopped onion and cilantro with rice and refried beans on the side. I cooked the rice in the chicken poaching liquid which made it extra flavorful. Great.

Yield: 4 servings (8 enchiladas)

• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 medium-large poblano chilies (about 12 to 14 oz), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1 pound tomatillos, husked, cored, and chopped
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped, plus more for garnish, if desired
• 8 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1/2 cup chicken stock, plus an additional 2 cups if poaching the chicken
• 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems, rinsed and dried, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless chicken (I used 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs) (or 1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken)
• 6 oz Monterey jack or whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 T hot sauce, such as Cholula or Tapatío (I used Chipotle Cholula- my favorite)
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• lime wedges, to serve, optional
• sour cream or Mexican crema, for serving, optional
• rice and refried beans, for serving, optional

1. Place the chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with about 2 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover and cook until the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees for thighs or 160 degrees for breasts, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let the chicken cool in the liquid until just warm, then finely chop the meat. Reserve the cooking liquid. (Alternatively, 1 1/2 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken meat can be substituted.)
2. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees with a rack in the center position.
3. In a large pot over medium-high, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil, the chopped poblanos, cored & chopped tomatillos, chopped onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have completely softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
7. Add the cilantro and continue to process until smooth, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
8. Spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish; set aside. (I used 4 individual enameled cast iron serving dishes, placing 1/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of each dish.)
9. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cheese, hot sauce, 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
10. Brush both sides of the tortillas with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, then arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet (its fine to overlap them slightly). Cover tightly with foil and warm in the oven just until soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. (This step is important in order to make sure that the tortillas are pliable enough to fill and roll.)
11. Uncover the tortillas; reserve the foil. Lay the tortillas out on a large cutting board (or 2) or a clean counter.
12. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas (about 3 heaping tablespoons each), arranging the filling in a line along the bottom edge of each tortilla. (I used a 3 T cookie scoop.)
13. Working one at a time, roll up the tortillas to enclose the filling and place seam side down in a tight row down the center of the prepared baking dish. (or 2 enchiladas per individual baking dish)
14. Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce over the enchiladas. (or 2 T per individual baking dish)
15. Cover tightly with a layer of parchment paper topped with the reserved foil. Bake until the cheese begins to melt out of the ends, about 15 minutes.
16. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of chicken poaching liquid, if desired. (I used white Basmati rice.) (I also warmed refried beans at this point.)
17. Uncover and spread the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. (or about 2 T per individual baking dish) Re-cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
18. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream or Mexican crema, garnished with chopped onion and cilantro, as desired.

Poblano Chicken Chili

My husband would like to eat chili every week in the winter, so I enjoy trying different versions. I was immediately drawn to this recipe because it incorporates poblano chilies, my favorite. I loved the salsa verde shortcut as well. It would be perfect for a Super Bowl feast.

This recipe was adapted from True Comfort: More Than 100 Cozy Recipes Free of Gluten and Refined Sugar by Kristin Cavallari, via Good Morning America.com. I modified the method and proportions. I also topped the chili with crème fraîche instead of cashew crema because poblanos and crème fraîche are one of our ultimate flavor combinations. It offset the heat perfectly. Directions for the cashew crema are included below for a dairy-free version.

Yield: Serves 8

• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (8 to 10 chicken thighs)
• 2 poblano chiles, seeds removed, chopped
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• coarse salt or pink Himalayan salt
• 2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
• 12 oz jarred salsa verde (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken stock
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 avocado, diced or sliced, for garnish
• crème fraîche, sour cream, or cashew crema (recipe below), for garnish
• thinly sliced scallions, for garnish, optional
• cilantro, for garnish, optional

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium to medium-high heat.
2. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the chicken pieces are browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the poblanos, onion, and jalapeño, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder and a big pinch of salt. Stir, and cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant.
5. Reduce the heat to low and add the canned green chiles, salsa verde, and cannellini beans; cook for 5 minutes, stirring it occasionally to bring the flavors together.
6. Bring the heat back up to medium and add the chicken stock. Bring the chili to a simmer, reduce the heat, and let it cook, occasionally stirring it from the bottom to prevent burning, for about 1 hour, or more, until desired thickness is achieved.
7. Just before serving, add lime juice; stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, as needed.
8. Garnish each bowl of chili with avocado and a dollop of crème fraîche, sour cream or cashew crema (recipe below). Top with a sprinkle of sliced scallions and/or minced cilantro, as desired.

For the Cashew Crema:

1. Place 1 cup of raw cashews in a high-powered blender and add half a cup of water.
2. Blend on high speed until the crema is completely smooth, 2 minutes.

Note: The crema will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.