Spicy Cilantro Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

Everytime I make chicken enchiladas, it´s a little different but one thing that is always the same is that I use Macayo´s Enchilada Sauce, either green or red.  I have tried making my own and using other brands, but the enchilada´s just do not taste as good.  I do not know if I got the original recipe somewhere, but it had to be more than a couple decades ago if I did and I have no idea where, but I am sure that it´s been through many revisions.

I had to improvise here as my 8x8 casserole dishes were used, had a 9x13 and some round casserole dishes and a plate.  Bought a big bag of corn tortillas from the Latin store, so there was no chance of running out of that.  Normally I like my enchiladas very saucy, but one large can of the Macayo´s was enough.

There was this part of me that was going to take pictures along the cooking process, but alas, I only took pics of the final product.  In my case, I made one 9x13 dish of enchiladas, which were 11 enchiladas, and an enchilada pie.

Servings:  20 large enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs of chicken breast (this was 4 chicken breast halves)
• water
• sea salt
• 2 bunches cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups sour cream
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tspn cayenne pepper
• 1 tspn sea salt
• 1 cup shredded colby cheddar cheese
• 14.5 oz olives, chopped
• 28 oz can of Macayo´s red enchilada sauce (or green)
• 20 corn tortillas

Directions:

• Boil the chicken breast in water with some salt added for about 25 min. on medium high.  
• Put cooked chicken breast cut up into chunks into the food processor and pulse chop chicken until it sort of looks roughly minced.  Saved water later to use with vegetable scraps to make yummy broth.
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• In a large stainless steel bowl (or glass bowl), mix minced chicken, cilantro, onion, garlic, sour cream, cream cheese, cayenne pepper, salt and half of the olives together until well mixed.
• Open can of Macayo´s sauce and put in a glass bowl.
• In a batch of 10 corn tortillas, heat in microwave on high for 1 min.  Corn tortillas should be very pliable, but not hard.  Don´t heat all the tortillas at once, as you want them soft when you roll the enchiladas, and not breakable.
• Spray 9x13 pan with olive oil.
• Dip 1 corn tortilla into the enchilada sauce and flip over to coat both sides.  Place tortilla in baking dish.  Put a large heaping full of chicken mixture in the center of the corn tortilla and roll.  Placing seem side down, arrange until the whole 9x13 pan is full.  This should be about 12 enchiladas.
• Heat remaining corn tortillas in the microwave for 1 min.
• Spray 8x8 pan with olive oil.
• Repeat rolling the enchiladas until pan is filled.  This should be about 8 enchiladas.
• If there is any enchilada sauce left, pour over the enchiladas.
• Top with shredded cheese.
• Sprinkle chopped olives over the enchiladas.
• Bake at 375 F for 35 min. uncovered.
• Remove from oven and let stand for 5 min.  Serve hot.

Another alternative to making enchiladas is you can make an enchilada pie, which is less messy and faster. 

Enchilada Pie Alternative

• Pour some enchilada sauce at the bottom of the casserole dish.  
• Place tortillas to cover the bottom of the casserole dish.
• Top with chicken mixture.
• Pour more sauce over the chicken.
• Place another layer of corn tortillas over the chicken.
• Top with more chicken mixture.
• Pour more sauce over the chicken.
• Top with last layer of corn tortillas.
• Pour more sauce over the chicken.
• Top with shredded cheese.
• Sprinkle olives over cheese.
• Bake at 375 F for 35 min. uncovered.