In our house we have the tradition of making a Mexican fare dinner every Monday night. Cooking up a homemade meal at the start of the work week with Gatsby as my sous chef always de-stresses me. I love Mexican cuisine because even the simplest of recipes tastes delicious and flavorful. If I’m in a time crunch I might just whip up some ground turkey or grass-fed sirloin tacos stovetop with a toppings bar, or if I’m feeling adventurous I’ll cook one of my classic recipes with a healthy spin. Here is one of my favorites.
Chicken and Vegetable Enchiladas
Makes 4 Servings
- 4 chicken breast halves[1]
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 cup cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (2 pinches)
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (about a palmful)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 8 soft corn tortillas
- 2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded
- Place 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves at the bottom of the crockpot topped with two cans of fire roasted tomatoes. Cook on high for 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Wrap tortillas in tin foil and place in the oven to warm.
- In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil and sauté garlic, mushrooms and onion with Mexican seasoning and cinnamon. When onions begin to brown add spinach.
- Shred the chicken using two forks or your fingers leaving ½ the tomato sauce in the crockpot to use as a topping. Add the chicken and tomato mix to the vegetables. Sprinkle with cilantro and lime juice.
- Remove the tortillas from the oven and set the broiler.
- Divide the chicken and vegetable mixture equally into the warm tortillas and roll each one up. Line a greased casserole or baking dish with the rolled enchiladas, seam sides down. Pour the reserved sauce over the chicken enchiladas and top with the cheese.
- Place the enchiladas in the oven 6 inches from the broiler and broil for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Be careful not to burn.
[1] You can also make this with a store bought rotisserie chicken to save time. Just add in the canned tomatoes once the vegetables have cooked (Step 3). Cook for another 10 minutes, until the flavors are well-married and the sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Reserve half of the sauce in a separate bowl to use to top the enchiladas. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce that still remains in the saucepot and heat the chicken through.