Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

It is cold outside so I am on the hunt for dishes that are hearty. This recipe came from fellow foodie Kathy Gibbons 20 years ago! I make it about once a year and make enough to freeze. Perry, your girls will love this!

Filling
10 chicken breasts with skin and bones
6 c chicken broth
2 chopped carrots
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves
4 parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves

Sauce
6 T butter
1 T oil
3 med. onions, chopped
1 box frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 c sour cream
4 green onions, chopped
1 or 2 4-oz. cans of diced jalapeno chilies, drained

6 c grated Monterey jack cheese
Corn tortillas

Filling: Place chicken and broth (for broth, you can also use 6 c water and appropriate Penzey's chicken stock base) in large saucepan with all filling ingredients. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand until chicken is cooked through, about one hour.

Remove chicken from broth; remove skin and bones and shred meat and place in medium bowl and chill. Strain cooking liquid and return the saucepan to heat and simmer the broth is reduced to 3 cups.

Sauce: Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook until light brown, stirring frequently, javascript:void(0)about 5 min. Whisk in reduced chicken stock, increase heat to medium and cook until sauce thickens. Cool.

Heat 1 T oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and simmer 5 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a food processor with sauce, sour cream, green onions, and chilies.

Grease two 9 x 13" baking pans. Spread 1/2 c sauce over the bottom of each. Add 1 c of sauce to chicken and mix in 5 c grated cheese. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle and cook each tortilla for a few seconds per side, just to soften. Divide chicken filling among tortillas and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking pans. Spoon remaining sauce over the top.

Cover with foil; bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, uncover, top with remaining 1 c cheese and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

This makes a lot of enchiladas. Two 13 x 9 pans, each pan holds 12.