Chicken Enchiladas With Salsa Verde 

I have been making fabulous enchiladas from leftover roasted chicken breast for years. Store bought green enchilada sauce ishard to beat, particularly Hatch brand. An important step is, after browning the tortillas, to drag them through a shallow bowl of the green enchilada sauce.

Mix the shredded chicken, some green sauce, some onion, and some cheese before filling.

Instead of dipping each tortilla in oil, you can instead microwave the stack of tortillas for 10-20 seconds, which will soften them up. Keep the stack covered with a kitchen towel to keep them moist as you take each one to roll up with the filling.

If you have the time, roast the tomatillos, onion, and garlic in the oven until lightly charred. Greatly improves the flavor of the sauce.

Queso Fresco is not meant to melt- it is often sprinkled over finished dishes for added flavor and texture. It is meant to have the same type of consistency as Feta cheese. In Mexican cuisine it is often served crumbled over black beans, enchiladas, soups, Chilaquiles, sopes, etc.

It is so much easier to layer the tortillias with the meat like a lasagna, I usually do three layers cutting the tortillians in half and quarters to fit the pan. I've made it with beef and red mole sauce, and have used chicken and shredded pork butt with the chile verde. one square is the equivalent to three enchaladas.

I have added spinich or chard to the sauce before I blend it other favorites are frozen corn and mushrooms. It's a winner every time!

Had no chicken--smashed up a can of pinto beans; no fresh chilis--used a can of Hatch fire-roasted chilis. Mixed the chilis and beans, seasonings, put a spoonful on a softened corn tortilla, added shredded cheese, rolled it up, into a greased baking dish, kept on until out of cheese, beans, and tortillas. Poured Hatch green enchilada sauce over it. Crumbled up queso fresco, put it on top. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes. HEAVEN! Ya use whacha got in the cupboard, right? =)

They turn to mush without oil and so don't come out of the pan whole.

I put my cooked chicken breasts in the stand mixer, with paddle attachment, and it makes for perfectly shredded chicken. I do this for shredded pork as well.

Tomatillos are best once they are charred in cast iron pan or in the oven along with onion, garlic, Serrano Chiles then processed. Put back in pan with some fat and fry a little to give it more dimension. Always fry tortillas to stand up to sauce and for texture. No melting cheese, top with Queso Fresco, onion and radish slices. Let sauce shine through....

I have on a couple of occasions used shredded Monterey Jack cheese, which melts well and has a nice flavor that marries well with the tomatillos.

One of the people I was cooking for has the soapy taste problem with cilantro so I omitted it, but the sauce still needed something, which turned out to be lime juice. I added about a tablespoon, which worked beautifully - apparently this is the best thing I've cooked in months, or so says my family. I'll definitely make it again.

Not sure why the recipe calls for waiting until the cheese melts. Neither queso fresco nor cotija are melting cheeses - they're closer to cottage cheese or feta (respectively) that way.

I always toss all the tomatillos, onions and garlic together, place on a foil lined sheet pan, and roast at 375 for 30-45 minutes. Then, put everything in a deep bowl, add the chiles and cilantro, and blend with an immersion blender. Makes cleanup easier. Roasting releases all the juices in the tomtillos and really perks up the flavor. Also, I always opt to triple the sauce. But I like it saucy, so just a personal preference. Good recipe that I have used many times!

The oil isn't to prevent the tortillas from sticking to the pan, it's to provide a binding for the sauce to the tortilla, without having the sauce penetrate the tortillas, so they don't get soggy. It's about layering flavors. Use the oil!

In Austin we love enchiladas! This dish, however, is much easier as a layered casserole. Other weeknight hacks: canned tomatillos and a rotisserie chicken. Spread some of the tomatillo sauce in the baking dish. Follow with 4 tortillas, 1/2 the chicken, and 1/3 of the cheese, 1/3 of sour cream, and 1/3 of remaining sauce. Then 4 more tortillas and repeat. Top with final 4 tortillas and last 1/3 of cheese and sour cream. You can have this in the oven in 15 minutes. Fantastic and easy.