Mom’s Enchiladas

These are my Mom’s enchiladas. They aren’t your mom’s enchiladas, they aren’t some restaurant’s enchiladas, they aren’t a basic ole recipe for sour cream enchiladas… they are Mom’s Enchiladas.  Always have been, always will be. Legend has it these enchiladas are what opened up my Dad’s eyes to the awesomeness that is my Mom, and only a few months after making them for him, they were engaged.

Let’s start with the most essential part of any enchilada: the tortilla. Growing up, we didn’t have access to tortillas so my Mom made her own. They were awesome. They were also a lot of work. When we moved back to the US we found these fabulous things: RAW tortillas. So good. Tastes like a little Mexican lady just spent the entire day rolling dough in your kitchen, but it only takes 45 seconds per side. I have yet to find a place that sells raw tortillas other than California, so if you don’t live there I sincerely apologize. It’s probably worth having a friend mail or bring them to you {that’s how I got them here to AR!}, or moving to the other side of the country just so you can buy these every time you are at the grocery store.

Once all of your tortillas are cooked {or if you are using pre-cooked tortillas} it’s time to make the filling. Cook up a few chicken breasts – I chose to roast three bone-in chicken breasts and then pull apart the meat – chop or shred the meat into bite-size pieces, and mix it with 2 cups of shredded cheddar {the sharper the better!} and a good dose of taco seasoning. If you are so inclined, you can also add in green chilis. I didn’t have any on hand, so I obviously wasn’t so inclined.

Next up, combine a tub of sour cream with a can of cream of chicken soup. This will be your enchilada sauce. I had accidentally purchased the fat-free cream of chicken soup {gross!} but it still turned out just fine. I also added a few dashes of Taptatio hot sauce. It gave it a light and delicious kick that I was very happy with.

Spread a thin layer of the sauce onto the bottom of the pan, and now it’s time to assemble the enchiladas. Add a couple tablespoons of the filling, then roll up the tortilla and place it, seam side down, into the pan. Each pan will fit approximately 8 enchiladas. I was able to get two full pans out of this.

Top with the remaining sour cream sauce, and a nice dose of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for approximately 25 minutes. Serve alongside beans, rice, and homemade guacamole {of course!} for the perfect Americanized Mexican Dinner: Mom’s Enchiladas.

This is a delicious and super easy meal that everyone will enjoy – the perfect contrast to all that crazy prepping and cooking we will all be doing next week for Thanksgiving.

I hope you have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next week for loads of Thanksgiving fun. Yaaaay!

~Kristin