Easy Chicken Enchiladas

One response that I had from a friend when I published my first entry was:  "What do I serve for dinner with larger crowds?"  Well, since I cook for 7 (or more) at every meal (an almost 12 year old, twin 9 year olds, one picky 6 year old and a 3 year old who eats almost anything, plus my husband & I), we have to serve "larger" dinners every night!  

So, that lead me to my decision to share my dinners with you.  I can't promise that I will be able to post every day -- who has that kind of time?!  I will try to do it at least once a week, depending on my schedule.  I am an English teacher by day, chef and mom by night. =)  (With this blog I should get great practice in both writing and editing my work!)  I think it will also help me remember what meals I served and how they were prepared.  So... this is for me as well as anyone else who wants to come along for the ride.  The first recipe is not my mom's recipe, maybe someday I will make hers and share it.  This time I decided to make up my own simple recipe for:

Chicken Enchiladas

This past weekend I bought fresh chicken breasts and, rather than just putting them in the freezer to use later, I cooked them several different ways to prepare for multiple meals.  Some I cut in half, dipped in Italian bread crumbs and baked.  Another way I cooked the chicken was to cut it up in small pieces, fry it on the stove with some curry powder, and then add it to some noodles I'd already prepared.

The rest of the chicken (3-4 breasts) I  cut up in smaller pieces, put in the crockpot on high, cooked with a can of cream of chicken soup and sprinkled in some taco seasoning.  In 3-4 hours, the chicken was cooked through; all I had to do was shred it a little with a fork, and it was ready to go.  I put it in the refrigerator to use later.

Tonight I decided to make my version of chicken enchiladas using this shredded chicken.  I should warn you:  it may not be the "official" recipe you are used to seeing.  I enjoy making up my own recipes, and it usually works out well.  I rarely make a recipe the same way every time, either; I like variety!

First, I sprayed a 9" x 13" pan with some Pam cooking spray, so the shells would not stick to the pan. Then, I heated up the chicken in the microwave, just to take the chill off.  Next, I warmed some flour tortilla shells in the microwave for a few seconds, so they would be easier to work with.  I happened to have the large ones (for burritos), but it really doesn't matter what size shells you use.  Then, I spread some chicken down the middle of each shell, topped the chicken with shredded cheddar cheese, rolled the shells up and placed them in the pan.  Then, I sprinkled more cheese on top of everything, put them in a 350º oven and baked everything for about 20 minutes.  I happen to like the corn flavor better than the flour, and realized I also had some corn tortilla shells on hand; I did the same with those, but put them in a separate 9" x 9" pan.   Along with the enchiladas, I served black beans and rice, with lettuce and sour cream as toppings.  I was out of salsa and tomatoes, so we just "made do" without anything else tonight.  My husband and kids loved it, and even my picky eater asked for seconds.  Another successful evening in the kitchen... in under 40 minutes!

I hope this has been a help to you; please feel free to read, copy, experiment and comment!

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