GRANDMA'S ENCHILADAS

Grandma's Enchiladas image

if you like mexican food you'll love this dish! i learned how to make enchilladas this way from my mom who learned from my grandma. i usually make a whole tray & then my boyfriend takes leftovers to work & brags to everyone about how good it is!! another traditional way to serve this is for breakfast with a fried egg on top (omg, heaven!) i usually make the full fat version but see the note at the bottom for a low fat version that still tastes great!

Provided by catalinacrawler

Categories < 4 Hours

Time 1h35m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

Previous Next

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breasts
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 bay leaves
2 cups white onions, diced
18 corn tortillas
1 cup vegetable oil, divided
3 cups red chili sauce (i use Red Chili Sauce or la victoria enchillada sauce)
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
lettuce (optional)
tomatoes (optional)

Steps:

Cut chicken into small pieces and add enough water (or chicken broth) to cover.
Season water with sea salt, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, sage, lemon juice & bay leaves.
Some of the seasonings might seem like a lot but when you're boiling you have to make the water strong so the flavor gets into the chicken.
Bring to a boil & cover, you don't want to boil too hard or all your water will evaporate.
Let boil for 60 minutes or until chicken falls apart easily.
While chicken is boiling, sauté onion in a small skillet, remove from skillet & set aside.
Using the same skillet, add ½ cup oil & heat to medium/high, sprinkle with some salt.
fry corn tortillas until lightly browned but not crispy (about 10 seconds per side), add more oil if needed until all tortillas are cooked.
Once chicken is done reserve 2 cups chicken broth and shred chicken.
Preheat oven to 350.
Put chili sauce in a wide bowl or sauce pan.
Using tongs, dip cooked tortillas in chili sauce and layer the bottom of a 6x9 size casserole dish (should fit 2 across & 3 down).
Add a layer of chicken, cheese, onions and sprinkle with chicken broth (I usually use a turkey baster).
Repeat until the dish is full...this size dish should fit 3 layers. (tortilla, chicken, cheese, onion & broth).
Sprinkle top of dish with more chili sauce and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. usually i turn the broiler on for a minute or two at the end to get the top crispy.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
i serve with shredded lettuce & diced tomato topped with taco sauce.
Note: for a lower fat version, use low fat cheese & heat tortillas on the stove top instead of frying....the dark rings give them more flavor than steaming. For smaller dishes cut tortillas in half to fit one single later across the bottom.