Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce

To make these up to a day ahead, prep and assemble the enchiladas (steps 1 to 3); cover and refrigerate. Go to step 4 when you're ready to bake and serve. Before filling, soften the corn tortillas by stacking them between damp paper towels and heating for a minute in the microwave. This makes them more pliable and prevents tearing.

*Note: We found we like a saucier/cheesier enchilada. So we double the sauce and cheese add more sauce to the chicken mixture and also add cheese to each enchilada. We would also recommend using less chicken.

FORMULA
Serves 6.
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 jars (16 ounces each) medium green salsa
3/4 cup heavy cream
12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese,
coarsely shredded (3 cups)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

PROCESS
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt
and pepper; place with garlic on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest
part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to
30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine salsa and
cream.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once chicken
is cool enough to handle, shred meat, discarding skin and
bones. Peel and chop garlic. In a large bowl, combine
chicken, garlic, and 1/2 cup salsa mixture.
3. Stack tortillas flat, and wrap in damp paper towels;
microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Working with
one tortilla at a time, dip in salsa mixture, lay flat, and fill
with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange, seam
side down, 8 enchiladas lengthwise and 4 crosswise in a 9-
by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining salsa mixture,
then cheese.
4. Bake until cheese is browned and salsa is bubbling, 40
to 45 minutes; let rest 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with
cilantro, if desired.
First published