Can an enchilada solve the world’s problems? Probably not. But it can be pretty darn comforting.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
How many times have we said this to friends, and the answer is usually “No, but I’ll let you know if there is.” I’m talking about the times when family members are sick, friends are laid up from debilitating surgery, and end of life passages. We want to love on our friends and family, but it’s hard to know what to do.
I am realizing that my love language is FOOD. So when times are tough, it is especially comforting to me to have someone prepare food for me. Chocolate chip cookies. Banana bread. Lasagna. Beef stew. Fresh baked bread. Yum.
My go-to recipe to bring comfort is Chicken Verde Enchiladas. I found it in a book my daughter gave me, Bread & Wine, by Shauna Niequist.
Niequist says, “This is serious comfort food — like, ‘eat with a fork straight out of the pan in the middle of the night’ comfort food.” I agree.
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Easy and tasty chicken verde enchiladas.
This is my version, tweaked to add a little more chicken and chilis (because I like spice), and to use rotisserie chicken (because I am really lazy). The enchiladas are layered rather than rolled, which makes the preparation much simpler.
The recipe freezes well. Defrost and microwave individual servings, or gently reheat the pan at a low temperature. You don’t want to dry it out. But you probably won’t be freezing it, because you’ll be eating it out of the pan in the middle of the night.
Enchiladas with good karma.
One last note: I was recently making this on a Sunday afternoon for a friend with a death in the family. I was up to my elbows in chicken goo (removing the meat from the bone) when my doorbell rang. There was my daughter’s boyfriend, holding a huge bouquet of roses, looking nervous, and asking if he could talk to us. Yep, it was the engagement talk. He helped me make the enchiladas while we waited for my husband to return from the golf course, and the process relaxed us both. These are some magical enchiladas! I’m not saying that your children will find love and marriage if you make them, or that you can take away friends’ grief or pain with a pan of them, but they can’t hurt.
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken, meat picked from the bone and diced or shredded (about 4 cups of meat)
- 1 cup sour cream, or a little more
- 1 28-ounce green enchilada sauce
- 2 7-ounce cans diced green chilis (Or use Hatch green chilis, which are hotter)
- 1 7-ounce can diced jalapeño (optional)
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (or pepper jack)
- About 20 corn tortillas
- 1 cup chicken broth
- cilantro
Instructions
- Mix sour cream with enchilada sauce, chilis and jalapeños (if using).
- Spread a thin layer of the sour cream mixture on the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan.
- Bring a small amount of broth to a simmer in a skillet. Drop in a tortilla and use tongs to flip after a few seconds, and remove after a few seconds. (Tortilla will disintegrate if in the hot broth too long.)
- Layer 4 tortillas over the thin layer of sauce.
- On top of tortillas, add half the chicken, one-third of the sauce, one-third of the cheese.
- Repeat with another layer of tortillas, the remaining half of the chicken, one-third of the sauce, one-third of the cheese.
- Layer with 4 more tortillas, the remaining third of the sauce and the remaining third of the cheese.
- Cook at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Don't let it dry out.
- Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving. Top with fresh cilantro.
Looking for other comfort food?
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