Some might call it a “Celeb Food Swap”, but around the LM Family, we just say we’re “…Sharing Family Recipes”.
LM’s own, Katsuji Tanabe, “Chopped” winner, “Top Chef” competitor, and Executive Chef of A’Verde Cocina and Tequila Library, shared his next-level chicken enchiladas in a creamy tomatillo sauce on Rachel Ray! Katsuji, who was born in Mexico City to Mexican and Japanese parents, often uses influences from both cultures in his cooking, but these enchiladas are pretty classic.
Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce | Recipe – Rachael Ray Show
Check out the super-tasty recipe he shared below!
(Quick Hint: Get to cleaning your plate faster by using a rotisserie chicken)
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 tomatillos peeled
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 to 3 jalapeno or serrano chiles, broken or sliced in half
- 1 spring onion, broken or sliced in half, or ¼ white onion, peeled
- Sea salt
- 1 quart chicken stock or water
- 5 to 6 sprigs of cilantro
- 5 to 6 sprigs of epazote
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3 cups pulled chicken from a roasted or rotisserie chicken
- 4 cups shredded Gruyere, Chihuahua or Manchego cheese
Garnish:
- ½ white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup Cotija cheese
Yield
Serves: 4
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, garlic, jalapenos or serranos and spring onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables get a little color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock or water, bring to a boil and cook until the tomatillos turn a deep, dark green, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into a blender, reserving the saucepan. Add the cilantro and epazote to the blender and blend until smooth.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the reserved saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the heavy cream, check the seasonings and keep warm.
In a large skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and semi-fry the tortillas until they are soft, about 30 seconds per side. Fill the tortillas with the pulled chicken, roll them up and place in a medium roasting pan or casserole dish. Top with three-quarters of the sauce and half the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Top with the remaining cheese and bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more. Add the remaining sauce and garnish with the white onion, sour cream and Cotija cheese.
