enchiladas verdes;
This recipe for enchiladas verde is a child of quarantine, and by golly it sure is yummy. I often keep chicken around as a go-to protein, even before quarantine hit. While we try to keep up with fresh vegetables and fruits, we’re trying to reduce the number of times we go to the grocery store to every two weeks except for emergencies. I find peppers and onions a little more resilient in the fridge so they’re good staples to build tasty meals off of. So I was planning to make enchiladas, but I actually couldn’t find the usual red enchilada sauce I use. So rather than schlep to another store, and touch more surfaces, and interact with more people, I just grabbed the can of verde off the shelf. And honestly? Great decision!
I’m not sure what I expected, but the enchilada verde sauce has a kick of heat to it. It’s not intense, just a little smolder I would say, and perfect to bring out flavors without overpowering them. I always like to coat the bottom of my pan with some sauce to prevent sticking and get that flavor all over. We didn’t quite use the whole can for 6 enchiladas, but it would probably be an ideal amount for 8-10 enchiladas, depending on how much extra sauce you prefer. This recipe can end up pretty healthful because it’s packed with protein, veggies, and I even used low carb veggie wraps. Bonus points, the green veggie wraps keep with the ‘verde’ theme!
The base of this recipe is salsa chicken, one of our go-to staple slow cooker recipes. It’s literally 3 ingredients, chicken, a jar of salsa, and garlic powder. You can omit the garlic powder if you prefer, but we’re a garlic family here. This time though, I used Trader Joe’s sweet corn salsa, which was superb. It was sweeter than some salsas, but it added beans and corn to the chicken all from one jar. And make sure you scoop up the salsa leftovers and add them back to the shredded chicken. Bonus note, if you’re looking to make these vegetarian, swap out the chicken for refried beans! These would still be super yum for sure.
So this recipe really lets the ingredients do the heavy lifting here. I would 100% happily make these the exact same way next time. With the heartiness from the salsa in the chicken, add some sautéed peppers and onions, use canned enchilada verde sauce, and low carb tortillas. Of course, use your own personal favorites if you have them! Corn, beans, and tomatoes are great additions, but you really can add anything. I love finding new ways to use crock pot salsa chicken, because, for a three ingredient slow-cooker meal, you can’t beat the flavor and versatility!
Secrets to Success
- I use 10″ tortillas. Use your preferred wrap flavor, but I like to keep with the green theme and use garden veggie tortillas.
- Depending on how thick you want each individual enchilada, this recipe makes 6-8 tortillas, perfect for about 5 people
- This is a great potluck, or make ahead meal. Make the chicken filling ahead of time, then pack the tortillas, filling, sauce, and any desired toppings. Then resume at step 4 to assemble and pop into the oven for baking.
enchiladas verde;
Ingredients
Salsa Chicken
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 12 oz jar salsa
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Enchiladas
- ½ cup peppers diced
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 10 oz green chile enchilada sauce
- 10 garden veggie tortillas
- avocado for serving
- cilantro for serving
Instructions
Salsa Chicken
- Add chicken breasts to a slow cooker. Cover with salsa and sprinkle in garlic powder. Allow to cook on low for 8 hours or high 4 hours.
- Once cooked, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Add to a bowl and add back any salsa solids for extra flavoring.
Enchiladas
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add peppers and onions. Sautee 8 minutes or until cooked through, then add chili powder and cumin and set aside.
- In a baking dish, layer several spoonfuls of enchilada sauce and spread across the bottom, reserving the remaining for topping.
- Take tortilla and add shredded chicken, onion and pepper mix, and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll tightly, and lay in dish. Repeat for all wraps.
- Top rolled tortillas with the remaining enchilada sauce, then sprinkle with any remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Broil 1-2 minutes for bubbly cheese. Serve with avocado and cilantro, as desired.
1 Comments
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March 22, 2024 at 11:47 pm
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