There are a thousand ways to make Green Chile Enchiladas. This is the way I like to make them when I have access to fresh green chiles. Green Chile season is usually the last two weekends in August. Each year I try to buy 20 lbs. I immediately roast and freeze them, for use throughout the year.
One of my goals for this blog is to show you that you can feed your large family really tasty food on a budget. The cost of this meal was around $12.50. That’s around $1.50 per person.
This recipe calls for fresh green chiles but you can substitute 48 oz. of canned green chiles. The key to this recipe is to cook it low and slow and to reduce the enchilada sauce in order to maximize flavor. If you prefer dark meat chicken (as I do) go for it.
Ingredients (Serves 8)
- 2 lbs. Fresh Green Chiles
- 3 lbs. Boneless Chicken Breast
- 1 large Onion
- 1 pkg Corn Tortillas
- 1 lb Monterrey Jack Cheese
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Oregano dried.
- Cooking Oil
- Roast the chiles, place them in a bag and cool. When they are room temperature, peel, stem and seed the chiles. Set aside. Dice the onion.
- Combine the Green chiles, Onion, Chicken, Salt, Cumin, and Oregano into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hrs, or low for 5 hrs. Or until the chicken shreds easily.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred (preferred) or dice.
- Blend (in regular blender, food processor, or with hand blender) remainder of slow cooker ingredients (onions, chilies and broth) and simmer on stove (low) to reduce. This is your enchilada sauce.
- When the sauce has reduced and becomes slightly thick, taste, and add more salt if needed.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a baking dish with cooking oil and line the bottom with corn tortillas. You may cut or tear the tortillas to insure the bottom is completely covered. Apply a moderate amount of sauce until all of the tortillas are barely covered. Add the chicken and half of the cheese. Next is another layer of tortillas and then sauce and then the rest of the cheese. Reserve the rest of the enchilada sauce. In order: oil, tortillas, sauce, chicken, cheese, tortillas, sauce and cheese.
- Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees and check. Continue to check every five minutes until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to turn brown.
- Rest for 15 minutes and serve topped with sour cream and extra enchilada sauce.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Let me know if you tried it and how you liked it. What are your favorite Green Chile recipes. Please share.
