I LOVE spicy food which explains why this enchiladas recipe is easily my favourite. Not the tears-streaming-down-your face, chugging-water hotness, but just good and spicy. Louisiana hot sauce is my thing. Seriously, we go through it faster than cheese. And that is saying something because we love our cheese. And if you get the opportunity to combine the two delicious flavours of cheese plus hot sauce, heavenly chorus singing. It is just SO good, just like with other chilli and cheese fave recipe of mine.
Whenever we go to a Mexican restaurant, I try to order something different, but it never happens. Inevitably, I always go back to my old faithful delicious and fantastic Enchiladas. My exact order is Chicken Enchiladas with queso sauce, rice and beans. And, of course, two pounds of chips and salsa for an appetizer.
My Own Enchiladas Recipe
When I first got married, I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it quickly became my husband’s favourite meal that I make! But when I see a recipe, I very rarely follow the recipe’s instructions but use it more as a guide for creating my delicious meal. I like the thrill of the unknown. I never measure anything, but using my chef’s sense; I drizzle, dash, sprinkle, plop and stir ingredients until it appears just right. Using this scientific technique, Inside Out Enchiladas was created.
We seriously divide the portions exactly even so neither one of us happens to get any more than the other person. My husband and I call out “left or right?” and the other person blindly chooses a plate, so all is fair in the portion control. It is a sad day when the last bite disappears.
The remarkable thing about this recipe is that I lightened up the original recipe using plain yogurt instead of sour cream. You seriously cannot tell the difference in the taste at all. And it’s only a fragment of the calories!! I highly recommend it.
I buy a substantial 5-pound block of cheese from Sam’s Club and grate my cheese. It’s so much cheaper and doesn’t have the added anti-caking ingredients added to it. Greek yogurt or regular yogurt works perfectly in place of sour cream.
I chopped up my jalapeños in my mini food processor and sliced my tortillas with a large chef’s knife. Taste your jalapeños before adding them to the recipe because some jars are hotter than others. Use as many or as few as you desire. The hotness is up to you!
Layer chopped tortillas and shredded chicken on an oil-sprayed 9×13 pan. Just like making lasagna but so much easier!!
Add half of your green ingredients and swirl evenly around (jalapeños, chillies, and salsa verde).
Next, add half of the yogurt, spreading evenly on top of the green layer. Then sprinkle with cheese. Use as much or as little as you want! Then repeat layers, ending with heaps of cheese!
After baking, gently broil the top of the cheese until the golden brown crispiness can tempt you no further. Remove from the oven and dive in!
Spicy and Cheesy Inside Out Enchiladas
Ingredients
2 medium chicken breast
7 medium tortillas - whole wheat
1 can green chilis (green chilli in British English)
¼ cup jalapeños - the kind in a jar- 1 jar salsa verde - (16 ounces)
1-2 cups cheddar cheese - shredded
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt - adjust to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper - adjust to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Boil the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked. Shred and sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, black pepper and cumin. Set aside.
- Stack the tortillas up on top of each other and slice them into 2-inch rectangles.
- Spray oil into a 9×13 pan.
- Arrange half of the sliced tortillas evenly in the bottom of the pan. Next, top with half of the shredded chicken. Pour half of the salsa verde, yogurt, chillies and jalapeños on top of the chicken. Using a spoon or rubber spatula, spread the sauce evenly. Next, sprinkle the desired amount of cheese on top. Repeat layers one more time, adding in half of what’s left of your ingredients.
- Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. If desired, broil for 2-3 minutes to lightly toast the cheese. Be careful that it doesn’t burn!
- Let cool a few minutes before serving. Serve with refried beans and chips with salsa.
