Creamy cilantro & jalapeno enchiladas

If you're from Pearland you know about Gringos. I love the place, and not living close to one anymore is hard. Thankfully there are other restaurants to fulfill my Tex-Mex needs (Chuy's). The Heights > Gringos. My favorite Mexican dish is enchiladas, and Gringos has the best! Maybe it's a nostalgia-thing. Especially since eating those enchiladas makes me reminisce about skipping school to eat there for lunch with Nicole, going before rehearsals to get free ice cream, going there for birthdays, hanging out with friends and family while waiting an hour to sit... or maybe it's the large amount of buttery, sour cream sauce they load on. Either way, they are my fave. Just writing about them is making me want them, and that's after eating my homemade ones two nights in a row. Speaking of which, they were actually pretty good! Enchiladas never turn out right. But I recently realized that because Gringos doesn't bake a dozen of them in a casserole dish. They just assemble on the plate and pour on the sauce! Cheaters!!!

BJ has always preferred flour tortillas, so I use those. I think next time I will use corn and a shallow dish. That way I can flatten them out for more crispy surface area. Like this, the enchiladas are a little too soft leftover. They also needed more cheese. Regardless, they were still good, and they look pretty too!



Creamy cilantro & jalapeno enchiladas

8 tortillas

filling:
1.5 lb. of chicken
2 roma tomatoes chopped
half small onion chopped
1 lime, squeezed
3 cups cheese (I used cheddar and monterrey jack)

sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup of whipping cream
1/2 cup cilantro
1 small can green chiles/jalapenos
salt & pepper

garnish:
sour cream
chopped tomatoes
diced onions
cilantro
green chiles/jalapenos

I cooked the chicken in stock in my crock pot while I was at work. It worked out perfect because when I got home it fell off the bone.

Set the oven at 375. Spray the casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Mix the chicken, tomatoes, onions and lime juice. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture. Stir in the sour cream, whisking if necessary to remove any lumps. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer until it thickens for a few minutes. I wanted everything well incorporated so I used the emulsion blender on it for a few pulses. It's not necessary if you don't have one. Assemble each one on a tortilla with a sprinkle of cheese, then chicken mixture, then more cheese, then a drizzle of the sauce. Roll up tightly and place edge-side down. I usually just repeat until I run out of room in the casserole dish or an ingredient. Pour on the sauce and sprinkle the rest of the cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes. I usually just bake until the cheese looks pretty.

Garnish and serve! It looks like this when it's done. Serve with rice, beans, or chips and salsa, or margaritas...



I ♥ cooking!