Good evening and welcome to my virtual table! It’s another weeknight installment of What’s for Dinner to boost your sustenance in the time of COVID-19!
Since it's Tuesday, I thought something Mexican would be fun!
The chicken enchiladas were a recipe we grabbed from an episode of Pioneer Woman as a good way to use chicken in the freezer AND generate a ton of leftovers.
Full recipe and video can be found here: White Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe from Food Network/Ree Drummond
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 green bell peppers
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 yellow bell peppers
- 2 or 3 hot chiles such as serrano or the like
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
- 16 small corn or flour tortillas
- 1 cup store-bought salsa
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Put on a baking sheet and bake until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then shred the meat with 2 forks.
- Roast the bell peppers and chiles directly on a gas burner (or directly under the broiler) until the skin is mostly black. Throw the peppers and chiles into a plastic storage bag and seal it. Let them steam inside the bag for 30 minutes or so. Core and seed, then scrape off the black skin. Chop and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chopped onions and jalapeno in the vegetable oil until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Throw in the shredded chicken, then stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the paprika and some salt and pepper, then add half of the chopped roasted peppers and chiles. Stir the mixture around and let it cook for a couple of minutes, then set it aside.
- In a separate skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk it together to combine. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Then pour in the remaining 2 cups chicken broth, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheese. Finally, stir in the sour cream and the rest of the chopped roasted peppers and chiles. If the sauce needs a little thinning, splash in as much broth as you need. Give the sauce a taste and add salt if it needs it (with all the cheese, it shouldn't need much).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Wrap the tortillas in paper towels and microwave until very soft and pliable, about a minute.
- Place a small amount of the chicken mixture and about a tablespoon of the grated cheese down the center of each tortilla. Fold over the edges and arrange them seam-side down in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup grated cheese and bake until bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and salsa on top and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves.
I was watching the news briefly this afternoon and they were showing a miles-long line of cars going to get food at a food bank in PA. It made me think about other need-filling organizations like Second Harvest in NOLA. If you haven’t had a chance yet take a look at Crashing Vor’s latest videos about New Orleans during the time of COVID-19.
In the first installment he meets and talks with some of the local restaurant owners. I really enjoyed seeing the concern and passion these folks have.
In the second installment we meet some “helpers” and hear their stories. Just makes me feel hopeful to listen to these folks talk about what they do and how impactful it is.
It is crazy to think that our official “stay home” order here in OR was just a week ago! We’ve been pretty much “at home” for about 3 weeks now. Went to get prescriptions and a few basics last evening and it was fairly quiet in my local Safeway. Most folks seemed to be doing a good job at distancing. Although the news broke yesterday that a worker at the Costco over in Central Point had tested positive. This coming week I worry we are going to see a jump in cases as testing expands as well. All the more reason to STAY HOME.
And also too:
Along with giving the more vulnerable some specific times to shop safely this is a very important reminder. Here in OR folks who get SNAP will get it on the date that corresponds to the last # of their SSN hence the April 1-9th window. But wherever you are this is the time of the month a LOT of folks get things like SSI or Disability as well so they may be dependent on stock being on hand this week when they can buy it. It’s a good reminder that if something is WIC labelled to try and choose something else, or wait to buy if possible. We all know how little things really do matter!
So, what are you cooking or eating? Feel free to grab a seat and dish!