Tyler Florence – Serves 8

Get ready for one of the best enchiladas that you will ever taste. Full disclosure: there are much easier ways to make enchiladas and for weeknights I opt for the easier versions. But for the “I am having company and want to impress” version this is the one you are going to want to use. Trust me, these are worth the effort.  

I grew up eating enchilada pie with Las Palmas original enchilada sauce straight out of the can. It was my family’s take on Mexican food. The raw tasting red chili sauce was never a good fit for my delicate tum tum. It wasn’t until I was an adult years later that I learned from Margaret Wilkes, my mother-in-law,  that the issue isn’t with the spices. It was technique. The chilis need to be roasted. 

Among the many lessons I learned from Margaret Wilkes, Annie’s grandma, was how to make canned enchilada sauce taste homemade. She first created a roux (flour and butter cooked to remove the raw flour taste). Then, she added chicken stock. To save yourself a lot of work, consider picking up a deli roasted chicken from a grocery store. All of these shortcuts were acceptable, but making it into a pie was a crime. Enchiladas are individually rolled, no ifs, ands or buts about it. From scratch, it’s labor-intensive, and much easier if you have someone to help. If you are up to it, the effort in the kitchen is worth the delicious enchiladas.

Ingredients for roasted tomatillos

• 1 lb Tomatillos, husked
• 1 White onion, peeled, sliced, quartered, or whole
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 2 Jalapeños
• 2 t Ground cumin
• 1 t Salt
• ½ C Chopped cilantro leaves1 Lime, juiced

Ingredients for enchiladas

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Onion, diced
• 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 ½ t Ground cumin
• ¼ C All-purpose flour
• 2 C Chicken stock
• Chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 Deli roasted chicken (about 3 lb), boned, meat shredded
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 Large corn tortillas
• ½ C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 pkg. Pepper Jack sliced cheese (cut each slice into three thin strips)
• 2 C Sour cream
• Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Guacamole, optional

Directions for the salsa

• (Preheat oven to 400 degrees F)
• On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeños for 12 to 15 minutes. 
• Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. 
• Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Directions for the enchiladas

• Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized — this should take five to seven minutes. Add the garlic and cumin, then cook for a further minute. 
• Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn, then gradually add the chicken stock to make a velouté. 
• Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chili salsa, and some additional fresh chopped cilantro. Fold in the cheese and shredded chicken meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. 
• Heat tortillas to make them pliable. 
• Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla. 
• Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll it like a cigar to enclose it. Place the tortillas in the baking dish, and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. 
• Finally, pour over some more of the salsa and top with a thin slice of pepper jack cheese. 
• Bake in a 350-degree oven uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top—garnish with cilantro and tomato.