Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

I made these enchiladas to go with the Salsa Verde from the previous post. Really I wanted to try some homemade tortillas from the farmer's market so I needed a new recipe that I could use them in! They were blue corn tortillas, hence the color in the photos. This was a good one- a little time intensive, but the results were worth it!

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce from Cooks' Illustrated

- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- 2 jalepenos, seeded and chopped fine
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 3 medium cloves garlic
- 3 Tbs chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 C water
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 C extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
- 1 C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/2 C minced fresh cilantro
- 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas

1. Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 tsp salt, and oil in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened (8-10 minutes).

2. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and sugar; cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened (5 minutes).

3. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (12-20 minutes depending on thickness of chicken). Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

4. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the strained onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

5. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 C of the enchilada sauce, 1 C of cheese (1/2 of each kind), and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

6. Warm the tortillas in the microwave until soft and pliable (40-60 seconds). Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 C of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

7. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Bake at 425*, uncovered, for about 7 minutes.

8. Reduce heat to 400*. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. (I would use 2/3 of the sauce next time). Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.