Chicken Enchiladas

So, my friend asks for some pointers on Enchiladas, and I respond with an overly detailed recipe. Whoops!

What to do? Publish it on the web, of course.

Have some Chicken Enchiladas, tonight! I'm going to. The recipe feeds about 5, but Ben and I will enjoy this for at least 3 meals.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• about 15 corn tortillas (may be more or less depending on the size of your pan)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Bay Leaf (optional, I've cooked without and didn't notice the difference)
  
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Monterrey Jack cheese, or cheese of choice.
• 28 oz can of Enchilada sauce of choice (mine is Medium Salsa de Chiles Verdes by Las Palmas)
• An additional 10 oz can of same sauce (optional*, see note below)
  
• Oil that can sustain high heats, (Canola, Grapeseed, etc)
  

Instructions

1. Halve the onion, (save the remaining half for filling, later) place it in the pot with 4 crushed cloves of garlic, and the bay leaf.
   
2. Season chicken breasts (both sides) with salt and pepper and place in pot with onion and others.
   
3. Fill pot with water, enough to cover the ingredients.
4. Bring water to boil, and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Turn over chicken breasts and simmer for another 15 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat, and if chicken looks ready, (it's ok to cut in to check), remove from pot. Otherwise, let it finish cooking in the residual heat.
7. Cool chicken until it is easy to handle
8. Shred chicken to no larger than bite sized pieces
   

While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare your remaining ingredients:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Shred your cheese, if it isn't already.
2. Chop remaining onion, somewhat finely
   
3. Pour warmed sauce into a shallow bowl, (I have put mine, bowl and all, in the microwave for over a minute) it should be warm, but not too hot to handle with your hands
4. In a small shallow pan, pour to 2" high (I hope that's clear)
5. Prepare pan, (like a 9x13 pyrex), (I can't even remember if I grease mine, but I don't think it would hurt...)
6. Heat oil to medium-high (Consider asking a 2nd person to help...but I think you said you mastered this on your own, so rock on)
   
7. Heat tortillas over the stove (a cast iron skillet is good for this)
8. One by one, as tortillas are heated, place in hot oil so to lightly fry them. (Stiff enough so they don't fall apart in sauce, but still soft enough to bend easily)
9. After fried, tortillas go into warm sauce
10. Once covered in sauce, fill tortilla with chicken, cheese and chopped onions, (ratios aren't specific, but base it on your preferences), and roll together
11. Rolled enchilada goes straight into pan, using the edges and bottom to keep it shut. Remaining enchiladas will press up against one another to hold each other's shape.
12. Repeat steps 7-11, (hehehe), until pan is filled to capacity
    
13. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, (*sometimes I've felt that the 28oz can is enough, but the leftovers have been drier that I would like. If you like saucy enchiladas, consider the extra 10oz can), sprinkle with cheese.
14. Heat, uncovered, in oven until cheese is melted and sauce bubbles.
    

Sweet! Enchiladas are ready.
Invite friends, serve with rice, guac, a corona, whatevs.
Eat and be happy.