Grilled Chipotle Lime White Chicken Enchiladas

“1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”  Maybe that part was true, but did he REALLY “discover” America?  Of course, not. It was already inhabited by Native-Americans. I’ll save the debate for the history buffs and scholars.  I’m just thankful that it gives me a day off from the office. And let’s not forget about the great shopping deals!  Just a little fun fact. Did you know South Dakota changed Columbus Day to Native-American Day? You go South Dakota!

This post wasn’t inspired by Christopher Columbus or even Spanish Cuisine, although I did incorporate Spanish Rice into my Mexican recipe.  So I guess there is a small connection. These Grilled Chipotle Lime Chicken Enchiladas were inspired by the White Chicken Enchilada recipe circulating on Pinterest by Joyful Momma’s Kitchen.  Oh, and this post counts as Day Two of my Pinterest Recipe Reviews. Figuratively, killing two birds with one stone today. *Disclaimer- no birds were actually harmed during the composure of this blog.

Obviously, this recipe is a keeper!I wanted to kick up the enchiladas with some heat and spice. I marinated the chicken breasts in an adobo chipotle and lime sauce and grilled the chicken. True to my nature, I have trouble following recipes to a T. I always seem to adjust it to my liking. Isn’t that what being in the kitchen and cooking is? Discovering new ways. Making it your own. Throwing caution to the wind and being fearless. Sure, it may not always work out, but failures often times lead to success. It’s through trial and error that we learn.  At least in my kitchen.

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large bowl. Mix in your adobe sauce and chipotle peppers. I can never find fresh chipotle peppers in my Publix supermarkets.  I wish they had a bigger variety of peppers. Oh well, I digress. You can take some of the peppers out if you prefer less heat. I take out about half. Mix in olive oil, spices, lime zest, ( I usually peel my limes like an orange and chop them finely.) garlic, and squeeze in juices from both limes.  Whisk together. Place chicken breasts in zip lock bag and pour marinade over. Marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. Overnight is always best, but not required.

White Cheese Sauce:

In a medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Once melted add flour and whisk until blended into a thick paste. Add chicken stock and white wine and continue to whisk periodically over medium heat until mixture thickens. Add chopped chili and jalapeño peppers. Mix in sour cream. Make sure sauce is hot and add in shredded monterrey jack cheese. Whisk until cheese is melted and turn sauce to low heat. Check and stir periodically.

Prepare Knorr Fiesta Spanish Rice according to instructions.  I always throw in 1 tsp of butter with the water and cook in a glass bowl in the microwave. Do what works best for you. Set aside when cooked.

Grill chicken breasts on medium heat for 3 minutes and rotate 90 degrees for perfect grill marks. It smells so good while its sizzling. Cook another 3 minutes and flip over and repeat process. Take chicken off the grill and slice thinly and shred with two forks.  I only used two chicken breasts. This really does go a long way especially with the Spanish Rice. If you prefer not to use rice then I suggest shredding the last breast of chicken.

Try not to overcook the chicken on the grill, as it is going back into an oven.  It should be tender and juicy. I can never resist tasting a bite or two of the chicken. Mmmmm, so good!

Put shredded chicken into a large bowl or plastic container and add Spanish Rice, chopped red onion, (optional) and shredded monterrey jack cheese and mix together well.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spoon in chicken and rice filling into a soft shell tortilla. Don’t be afraid to fill it.

Roll tightly. Don’t be afraid to stuff the sides back in either! Line tortillas in a large glass baking dish.

You should be able to comfortably fit 10 enchiladas in your glass dish.

Pour over generous amount of cheese sauce. I never use all of it. But you can use as little or as much as you like.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes on 350. Uncover and sprinkle a generous helping of shredded monterrey jack cheese and bake uncovered until cheese is melted.

Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve.  I usually serve this with a side salad since a side of rice is tucked inside.

I hope you enjoy my variation of White Chicken Enchiladas.  Please rate this recipe if you try it.  As always…stay hungry.

Recipe Type: Mexican Cuisine

Author: The Kitchen Prescription

Adapted from Joyful Momma’s Kitchen

Ingredients

• MARINADE INGREDIENTS
• 1 6 oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (can find this in mexican cuisine isle)
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Zests from 2 limes (Reserve limes for marinade)
• 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cummin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• WHITE SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
• 3 Tablespoons salted butter
• 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 Cups chicken stock
• 1/4 Cup white cooking wine
• 1 4oz can chopped chili peppers ( I only use half )
• 1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño peppers
• 1 8 oz container sour cream
• 8-10 oz shredded monterrey jack cheese (I buy two 16 oz packages. Cheese will also go in the chicken mixture and top of enchiladas.)
• 3 LARGE BONELESS CHICKEN BREASTS (these will go a long way trust me. I only used two and had plenty left over after I filled 10 tortillas.)
• 10 SOFT SHELL TORTILLAS (I used Old El Paso)
• TORTILLA STRIPS FOR GARNISH (can use fresh chopped cilantro, scallions, or olives)
• 1 PACKAGE KNORR SPANISH RICE
• 8 oz SHREDDED MONTERREY JACK CHEESE (for chicken mixture)
• Small chopped red onion (optional)

Instructions

1. Please see picture tutorial on blog.