Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
Discover how to make Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas, featuring savory fillings wrapped in delicious corn tortillas.
What is an enchilada?
An enchilada is a Mexican dish consisting of a corn tortilla, fried briefly in oil so that it is still pliable, then rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with various ingredients, including meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, or combinations. Enchilada sauces include chili-based sauces, such as salsa roja, various moles, tomatillo-based sauces, such as salsa verde, or cheese-based sauces, such as chile con queso.
Some recipes call for using flour tortillas, but they are bland, and corn tortillas add an extra element of flavor. Our preference is definitely corn tortillas.
Some recipes call for using a cream soup, such as cream of chicken or cream of mushroom. I have tried several of those and, although not typical, they have turned out very tasty.
You can use any cheese you prefer. We like to use Fiesta cheese, a mixture of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Colby cheese.
Should I choose pre-shredded cheese or block cheese?
The best choice is to always buy the block and shred it yourself. That is because the pre-shredded cheese does not melt as easily as freshly-grated cheese. That is due to the additives that prevent it from clumping together.
What is the difference between green enchilada sauce and red enchilada sauce?
Green enchilada sauce is made from tomatillos (Mexican husk tomatoes), green chiles (such as jalapeños), onion, garlic, vinegar and spices.
Red enchilada sauce is made from red chiles (such as ancho or pasilla chiles), vinegar, onions, garlic and spices.
Some like to put green enchilada sauce over one-half (width-wise) of the enchilada and red enchilada sauce over the other half of the enchilada. It makes for quite an attractive presentation.
The very best way to shred chicken…
Using a stand mixer is a fast and easy way to get perfectly shredded chicken each time. Shred the cooked chicken at low speed for about 30 to 60 seconds, until you get finely shredded pieces. You can adjust the speed or time to achieve different sizes according to your preference.
What can I serve with Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas?
Make your choices from the following:
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
Discover the art of making Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas, featuring savory fillings wrapped in delicious corn tortillas.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken, cooked, shredded
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)
1/2 yellow onion
2 (10 ounce) cans Hatch enchilada sauce (red or green), divided
5 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, divided
12 taco size corn tortillas
Black olives, sliced (optional)
Chopped green onion (optional)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mix thoroughly into the cream cheese.
- Mix shredded chicken, cream cheese mixture, garlic powder, cumin, 1 can enchilada sauce and 1 cup shredded cheese. Mix well.
- Pour the remainder of the can of enchilada sauce into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet, and fry each tortilla just for a few seconds. Drain on a paper towel. It should remain pliable.
- Fill the tortillas with a couple tablespoons of filling; spread and roll up. Place enchiladas seam side down on top of sauce in the baking pan, repeating to fill the pan.
- Pour second can of enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F until hot and bubbly.
- Let sit for a couple minutes before serving.
- Use a spatula to transfer each enchilada to a serving plate.
- Sprinkle with sliced black olives and chopped green onion, if desired.
Notes
Photo credit: a5/ea07f9d6 Stacy Spensley on VisuaHhunt / CC BY
