Chicken Enchiladas with Ancho Chile Sauce

This is an updated recipe that I had previously posted, when my blog was in it's infancy. I've come to the conclusion that enchiladas are difficult to photograph.  This picture is still better than the original, but still needs a lot of help. The picture doesn't do the Enchiladas justice, because they taste so good. The Enchiladas, Lupe's Mexican Rice, and Guacamole were our Cinco de Mayo menu, complete with a Mango Margarita.  

My husband, Scott, got this amazing enchilada recipe from a cooking class that he took at Williams Sonoma. several years ago .The secret to these enchiladas is in the sauce. You use dried ancho chilies and re-constitute them. and then puree them .There are wonderful layers of cheese, sauce, and chicken. We never order the enchiladas when we go to a Mexican restaurant anymore, because they don't taste as good as the ones that we can make at home.  This is a wonderful dish for company and doesn't take that long to put together.  It also freezes well, if you have any leftovers.  This recipe has become our signature dish, that our friends request all of the time. The enchiladas go so well with Lupe's Mexican Rice  and Guacamole. We modified the recipe from Chef Freddy Hernandez.  You can lighten up this recipe, by using 2% milk cheese, which is what we used.  These enchiladas can be made ahead of time, and baked later.

Chicken Enchiladas with Ancho Chile Sauce from Chef Freddy Hernandez

2 medium dried ancho chili

4 Tbsp EVOO

2C. diced onion

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 c good quality chicken broth

4 c canned tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato sauce

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

12 6" flour tortillas

3 c shredded cheese about 1 lb Jack and cheddar cheese

2-3 c cooled shredded chicken   We used chicken breasts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a zip-lock plastic bag, add dried chilies and some warm water.  Close and set aside  until chilies are   soft,  about 20-30 min.

3. In a saucepan, add oil and place over medium flame.  Add onion and chili powder, saute 3     minutes, and then add cumin, garlic, tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, and sugar.   Bring to a boil and simmer 20-30 minutes.  In the meantime, remove seeds and stem from the  chilies and  add to sauce, puree and set aside.  You can either use a regular or stick blender.

4. Cover the bottom of a 9X13 pan with sauce, add about 1 oz of cheese and 1 oz of chicken on  each tortilla, then roll and place in the pan over the sauce, add the rest of the sauce on top,  sprinkle with extra cheese and place in a pre-heated oven and bake for 20-30 min, uncovered,  until bubbly.  Enjoy!!!

I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck#65
Stop by and say Hi to Brandie!

I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck#17
Stop by and say Hi to Brandie!

Dont' forget to enter my first ever giveaway for a 32 oz jar of Tropical Traditions  Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.  The giveaway ends 5/13/12 at 12am. Click here to enter.