Swiss Enchiladas

If you love Mexican food, you will love these Enchiladas. I love me some Mexican food, could easily eat it everyday. This is a recipe I had saved out of a past House Beautiful Issue. Although the recipe is originally from the Cookbook "Rosa's New Mexican Table" by Roberto Santibanez. I will not lie, this was a little labor intensive to prepare. Not hard, it just involves several steps. Next time I will most likely make the sauce a day earlier to cut out that step. However, I will most definitely be making this meal again. It was well worth the time and effort. The enchiladas tasted like true authentic Mexican food. The flavors of the salsa were so fresh and vibrant. I served this with a side of black/refried beans and it was the perfect dinner. Bon Appetit!

PHOTOS OF MY ENCHILADA MAKING SKILLS:









SWISS ENCHILADAS
(Enchiladas Suizas)
Serves 6

FOR THE SAUCE
4 cups Cooked Green Salsa (recipe follows)
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup heavy cream
12 6-inch store-bought corn tortillas
1/4 cup vegetable or light olive oil
4 cups cooked shredded chicken

FOR THE TOPPINGS
1 1/2 cups shredded queso Chihuahua or Muenster cheese
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Make the sauce: Pour half the green sauce into a blender, add poblanos, and blend at low speed until smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan, add the remaining green sauce and cream, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat.

3. To soften the first six tortillas, heat half the oil in a medium-low skillet and lay each tortilla in oil for 15 seconds each side. Repeat with other six. Drain on paper towels. Fill and roll tortillas, using 1/3 cup of chicken each. Place enchiladas seam side down in 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Can prepare up to 4 hours in advance. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Remove 30 minutes before baking.

4. Pour hot sauce over the enchiladas. Jiggle the dish so the sauce settles in between them. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Bake until the sauce around the edges bubbles and cheese is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

5. Scatter the onion and cilantro over the enchiladas. Scoop 2 enchiladas and plenty of sauce onto each serving plate.


COOKED GREEN SALSA
(Salsa Verde Cocida)
Makes 4 cups

2 pounds tomatillos, husked and washed
2 jalapeños
3 small garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch cilantro, thick bottom stems removed (keep cilantro in a bunch and put in the blender stems first)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

1. Put tomatillos and jalapeños in a medium saucepan, pour in enough cold water to barely cover (about 3 1/2 cups), and bring to a boil. Cook until jalapeños are soft and tomatillos tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

2. Gently drain mixture in a colander. Wipe out saucepan and set aside. Put the tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, and cumin in a blender and blend for a few seconds, just until the tomatillos are coarsely chopped. Add the cilantro and blend until the sauce is smooth and speckled with finely chopped cilantro. Do not overblend, or you will grind the tomatillo seeds and make a thick and pasty rather than smooth and shiny sauce.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium. Pour in the salsa, bring to simmer, and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Store sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat before using.

**A few notes on my Enchiladas: I used the Mexican quesadilla cheese and Monterrey Jack. The recipe calls for just the chicken to go inside the corn shells, but I thought it might be too dry so I added some of the green salsa to the chicken before I rolled it in the corn shells. I recommend serving with sour cream and guacamole. These reheat perfectly.**

PRINT RECIPE HERE