Housewifery and Margaritas

One of the things that I miss doing is cooking regularly. I love to make big extravagant meals but unfortunately time often gets the best of me and I opt for the frozen pizza option more than I'd like to admit. Tonight to beat the frozen pizza slump I decided to make a meal that 1) I've never made before and 2) I'm definitely going to miss when we leave the Land of Enchantment (or in this case, the land of readily available green chile). 

Yes my friends, I am referring to green chile chicken enchiladas. I don't know why I've never tackled this feat before tonight, perhaps I was intimidated by shredding my own chicken? Afraid of a poor result? Thought it would take too much effort? Yes I suppose all of these factors played into my decision to severely delay trying these at home. However, I assure you that these are worth the wait. 

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas 

2 3oz chicken breasts, shredded (recipe below) 

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 clove garlic, minced 

Salt and pepper to taste 

2 C milk or water 

1 lb green chile, chopped (while fresh is obviously preferred, Bueno frozen does just fine)

1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese (or more because let's be honest here, cheese is incredible) 

12 corn tortillas (or 20 because who ever finds tortillas in a pack smaller than that?)

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine soups, garlic, seasoning, milk and the star of the show: chile. Bring to a boil. 

In an oven-safe casserole dish (I used a 9x9) pour a little bit of sauce into the dish; you don't need much, just enough to coat the bottom. Next layer tortillas, chicken and cheese. Repeat the layering until your ingredients are used up. 

Bake for 25 minutes. 

It may sound silly but I was afraid to make shredded chicken. I don't know why but I always thought it would be a difficult process or I would undercook it or encounter some other horrible kitchen disaster. I'm happy to report that all was well and I was rewarded for my efforts with 2 perfectly cooked shredded chicken breasts! 

Shredded Chicken 

2 3oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 C water 

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place chicken and cover with water. Let chicken simmer for 15-20 minutes (or until there's no more pink parts). 

Remove from water and shred with 2 forks in a bowl (trust me, a bowl is easier than using a plate! At least this way everything is contained.) 

These extremely tasty enchiladas were enjoyed with Spanish rice (see my "Sunday Fiesta" blog for recipe), and jalapeño margaritas using my jalapeño-infused tequila (see my "Infused Liquor" big for recipe). 

I invited over two girlfriends to assist me in eating this New Mexican feast (and to be my surrogate husband since Nate was unavailable to join me) so thank you to Ashley and Cheyenne for letting me slave over a hot stove for you! 

I hope you enjoy these recipes, readers! And remember that you don't have to be afraid to make shredded chicken!