In The Kitchen With Mom Mondays

I think we can all agree, there’s just nothing like Mom’s home cookin’.  It just tastes better, doesn’t it?  In a veiled attempt to get more home cooked meals I’ve asked my Mom to submit some of her favorite recipes for me to share with y’all each Monday.  Let’s get cooking in the kitchen with Mom!

This week’s recipe is actually one I’ve adopted from a friend’s mother.  It’s my favorite way to feed a crowd, and it’s also a great recipe to make ahead and freeze.  For this recipe I was planning on feeding about 10 people with enough for everyone to take home, so keep that in mind when figuring out your portions.

Ingredients: 

Begin by preparing your chicken.  You can boil it, bake it, bbq it, whichever you like really.  I add a little salt and pepper and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until it’s no longer pink in the middle.

 Next we get the cheese ready.  If you’ve got a food processor with a shredding attachment, now would be a great time to use it!  Shred your two blocks of cheese and add quarter cup of Oregano; this really adds spice to this dish, so if you like things on the spicier side add more Oregano.  Mix it together until it’s all nice and combined.

Now we shred the chicken!  After it’s done cookin’, let it cool completely before you begin.  If you’ve got a KitchenAid, here’s a neat trick I learned from The Crock Pot Ladies – toss your chicken breasts in the KitchenAid with the paddle attachment.  Turn your mixer on low and watch as it easily shreds before your very eyes!  If you don’t have a KitchenAid, you can A) Get one here!  or B) shred your chicken by hand 🙂

Next we prepare the tortillas.  Start with 1 tablespoon of butter melted in a small sauce or frying pan.  Get it good and hot and then add your tortilla.  Let it sit until it begins to bubble and then turn it over.  Let it bubble once more and then remove it from the pan.  Repeat this process until you’ve got all of your tortillas nice and buttered up.

In the meantime you can also heat your sauce.  I usually just toss it in a sauce pan and let it sit on medium-low heat while I do the tortillas.  Be careful not to do it on too high of heat as it will reduce and become salty.

*Note: if you prefer cooking oil to do you tortillas you can.  Basically you want these to be nice and pliable, so frying the tortillas helps them not fall apart. 

Now we move on to the sauce.   Grab a spoon and ladle a nice serving of sauce on to a dinner plate.  Dredge each side of a tortillas in your sauce.

Then grab your chicken and lay a nice portion on the upper third of the tortilla.  Do the same with the cheese and then roll it all up.

Place your completed enchiladas seam side down in an ungreased glass pan.

Once you’ve filled up your pan, top the whole thing with another round of cheese.  Pop it in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted.

Add a little sour cream and/or guacamole, serve and enjoy!