Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

PREP Time : 20 Min

  COOK Time : 40 Min

    TOTAL Time : 60 Min

My family's FAVORITE chicken enchilada bake drenched in queso cheese made with tortillas stuffed with a creamy filling of tender flavorful chicken and taco seasoning.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large or 4 small chicken breasts
• Water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 8-oz. package cream cheese
• 1 1-oz. package taco seasoning
• 1 4.5-oz. can green chilies
• 6 10-inch flour tortillas
• 1/2 lb. white American cheese, shredded
• 2 cups whipping cream
• Salsa or pico de gallo

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Poach the Chicken: Place chicken in a large pot and cover by one inch with water. Add salt. Heat on medium-low heat, covered, until water begins to boil. Reduce heat to low and let chicken simmer (do not let water reach a full rolling boil) for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Reserve cooking liquid for rice if desired.
2. Make the Filling: Sauté onion in olive oil until tender. Add cream cheese, taco seasoning and green chilies (with liquid) to onions. Reduce heat to low and stir until all ingredients are combined and cream cheese is melted.
3. Remove skin and bones from chicken if applicable (I highly recommend using bone-in breasts with skin any time you can as they are so much more flavorful and make a richer stock). Shred chicken with two forks then add to cream cheese mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Assemble Enchiladas: Spray a 13x9 backing dish with cooking spray. Fill tortillas evenly with chicken mixture and roll into enchiladas. Place enchiladas in prepared baking dish, seam-side down.
5. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over enchiladas. Pour whipping cream over cheese. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove aluminum foil and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has started to brown.
6. Serve with salsa and/or pico de gallo.

NOTES:

   When I make this I add cilantro, black peppercorns and smashed cloves of garlic to season the poaching liquid because I make fresh pico de gallo when I serve this and have all those things on-hand but salted water will work too.

   Absolutely no substitutions for the white American cheese! This is what they use to make queso dip at the Mexican restaurants. REALLY. You can find Land o’ Lakes White American cheese in the deli at Wal-Mart and Publix. You’ll need about 2-3 cups of shredded cheese.