Name: Green Chicken Enchiladas
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: MexicanLatin America & Caribbean
Ingredients: 2 (10-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce; 1 1/4 cups chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 rotisserie chicken , skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups); 2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (see note); Salt and pepper; 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Why This Recipe Works

Preparing an enchiladas recipe can be a multihour, labor-intensive endeavor—but it doesn’t have to be. We streamlined this dish and turned it into a weeknight meal. Rotisserie chicken (found in the prepared foods section of the supermarket) and canned enchilada sauce quicken our Green Chicken Enchiladas recipe’s preparation from hours to minutes. Pureed cilantro adds color and a bright, herbal flavor to the enchiladas. Blending cilantro with the enchilada sauce creates a fresh alternative to an otherwise standard sauce. When rolling the enchiladas, we placed the filling right down the center of each tortilla so they were roughly the same size. Placing the enchiladas seam-side down ensured that they wouldn’t fall apart in the oven.

Before You Begin

You can use shredded mild cheddar cheese in place of the Mexican blend.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Puree enchilada sauce and 1 cup cilantro in blender. Combine 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, chicken, and 1½ cups cheese in large bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Wrap tortillas in clean kitchen towel and microwave until pliable, 30 to 90 seconds. Top each tortilla with ¼ cup chicken mixture and roll tightly. Arrange, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray, then top with additional 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture and remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve, passing remaining sauce at table.