Shredded Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce

Every time it's a "dinner and a movie" night and Jason is picking the restaraunt, I inevitably know before I have to ask that his pick is going to be On the Border. It's a sick obsession really (ok, maybe not sick but I'm a little dramatic when it comes to my food). 90% of the time it is known that he'll order the surf and turf fajitas, the other 10% he orders a mango-strawberry mix margarita.

It is so infuriating that he won't try anything else that I find myself thinking up random ways to make mexican food fun. Like wearing sombreros and having a theme night or lying to him about the red sauce being cheese (not my finest moment). For my Foodbuzz 24x24 I really wanted to make something he would like other than the boxed fajita kit I make three times a week (without actually making fajitas). Because of this, I've always got frozen chicken breasts on hand as well as cheese and onions.

These shredded chicken enchiladas were a hit, and I got a few rave reviews on them, mainly from my sister who wished there was about another pan full of them after only getting one. Jason was slightly unimpressed with them, proving that boxed fajita mix wins out 100% of the time. I totally disagree, and these actually reminded me of the enchiladas I get on On the Border, partly because of the amazing flavor of homemade tortillas. The chicken filling was crazy flavorful, I only wish that there was another cup of white sauce or shredded cheese on top.

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

For the shredded chicken filling:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 tbl olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tbl olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken into the skillet to brown. Do not move until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken.

Add in the remaining 1 tbl olive oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and onion and sautee until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken broth, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Place the chicken back in the skillet. Cover with aluminum foil and cook in the oven for about 1 hour. Let cool and shred chicken.

For the white sauce:

2 tbl vegetable oil
2 tbl flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 ounce can diced chiles, drained
1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper

In a skillet over medium heat add the oil. Whisk in the flour and use a wooden spoon to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the chicken brother and cook for another minute. Stir in the chiles and the cheese to melt. Stir in the paprika and salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

To assemble:

7 corn tortillas
monterey jack and cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an 8x8 baking dish or pie dish pour in a little white sauce to coat the bottom. Carefully roll each tortilla with some of the shredded chicken and nestle in the pan. Cover with more white sauce and cheese if desired. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Serve and enjoy!