Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

In preparation for the arrival of the newest member of the DNCWWO household in early December, I'm compiling a list of recipes to freeze, as I'm sure I won't have much time for cooking once the baby arrives. I have a few favorites, but I wanted to test out some new recipes, too.

I also want to have a variety of flavors. I intend to try breast-feeding, and I know that what I eat will affect how my breastmilk tastes. The tomatillos in the recipe below were a new taste for me (I took all the seeds out of the serrano chile, so the sauce was sweet, rather than spicy). I was an extremely picky eater as a child, and I don't want my son to be the same way.

I got this recipe from Food Network's cookbook, Food Network Magazine Great Easy Meals.

If you're not a fan of chiles, substitute half a red bell pepper for the serrano chile. Also, the sliced rings of red onion are not cooked in this recipe, so soaking them in ice water takes out the raw bite.

To make this recipe freezer-friendly, make the sauce and freeze it, then assemble the enchiladas and place them in a foil-lined 13 x 9 baking dish (or place them in a disposable foil pan), cover with tin foil and freeze. The night before you want to cook them, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and proceed with step 7. The remaining half-cup of shredded cheese for topping can also be frozen, though the texture will be a bit crumbly.

Chicken Cheese Enchiladas
From Food Network Magazine Great Easy Meals

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion, halved horizontally
• 1 ½ lbs tomatillos, husked, rinsed
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed and seeded*
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Kosher salt
• Pinch of sugar
• 8 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro or parsley
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup crumbled queso fresco**

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Slice half of the red onion into thin rings, and place in a bowl of ice water to soak for ten minutes.
3. Place the other half of the red onion, the tomatillos, and the chile pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil 7 to 10 minutes, turning as needed.
4. Transfer the veggies and any liquid to a blender or food processor, add the chicken broth, and puree. Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and a pinch of sugar.
5. Stack the tortillas, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave on high for a minute. Remove and keep wrapped.
6. Toss the chicken with 2 cups of the cheese. Remove one tortilla from the paper towel, and spoon some of the chicken mixture down the center. Add a few cilantro or parsley leaves and roll up. Repeat with remaining tortillas, and place them side by side in a 13 x 9 baking dish.
7. Brush the tortillas with olive oil, and broil for 3 minutes.
8. Pour the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese, return to the oven and broil an additional 3 to 5 minutes more.
9. Serve the enchiladas topped with the sliced red onion rings, the queso fresco and any remaining cilantro.

* The "heat" in the serrano chile comes from the seeds. Leave two or three seeds in the pepper to give the sauce some extra heat. 
** Queso fresco is a creamy, soft, mild unaged white cheese, most often made with cow's milk. The name is Spanish for "white cheese." If you can't find it, substitute feta.