Savory Saturday: Chicken Enchiladas

I apologize for not posting last weekend.  But our house has been somewhat of a death camp since last Friday.  Popeye did not pull himself out of bed for over 28 hours, and Swee'Pea has already missed two days of school and been through two doctor's appointments and two prescriptions in less than a week.  Needless to say, I've had my hands full with sickly, whiney, less than happy boys who do not want to eat much other than milk and a few pieces of bread and jam, both which I happened to make homemade last week and which have been devoured between all three of us carb lovers.

I'll be honest.  The only thing I cooked this week was spaghetti, and that was because I was so tired of quesadillas and cereal and scrambled eggs that I was desperate for anything else.  The jar of Prego and the freshly frozen ground beef in the freezer called out my name, and so last night I dined alone while my boys yet again went to bed with tummy aches and no desire to consume anything other than a bit of liquids and some pain medication.  Luckily, I had snapped some shots of this dinner a few weeks ago, and so purely for the need of feeling like I must post something, I am pulling them out of the archives and sharing them all with you today.

This is not my recipe.  I can't take any responsibility for its deliciousness.  Rather, it is the sole doing of my dear friend, Toni, who is always ready with a quick recipe when I'm feeling frustrated in the kitchen or just tired of the "same old, same old."  It has now become one of my favorites, not only for our own kitchen, but for taking to family and friends who are in need of a night off and a good dinner.  It is quick and easy and oh-so-delicious.  And best of all, it is the recipe that jump-started my infatuation with Cumin, which up until recently I hated purely for the fact that it smelled strangely of a mix between bad B.O. and my high school cafeteria.

So thank you, Toni, for this delicious dish that even my picky husband and child will devour!

Chicken Enchiladas

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (I usually use 2)

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

Flour tortillas

Enchilada sauce

Shredded Cheese (I use cheddar, you can also you a yummy Mexican blend)

Salt

Pepper

Cumin

Garlic Powder

1. Poach chicken breasts for about 45 minutes (I add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lots of cumin to the poaching water)

2. Shred chicken with done and cooled a bit

3. In a bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream (about 2 equal parts), salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

4. Add chicken to mixture and combine

5. Make enchilada sauce according to package directions (I make mine with the Lawrey's seasoning packet and a small can of tomato paste)

6. Spread a thin layer of sauce along bottom of baking dish and dip tortilla into sauce to coat

7. Lay coated tortilla on flat surface and fill with chicken mixture.  Sprinkle it with cheese and then roll up and place in dish

8. Continue until dish is filled, then pour remaining sauce over entire baking dish and then cover with cheese

9. Bake at 400 degrees until sauce and cheese are nice and bubbly

Serve alongside Mexican rice and spicy refried beans.  This warms up beautifully and I love taking it to work the next day for lunch.

A few tips...

* Make sure you cover all of the tortillas really well with sauce because then they are nice and soft rather than dry and crunchy

* I can usually get about 6 enchiladas out of this, but they are so filling we each usually eat only about 1 or 1 1/2

* I always add more spices than I think I'm going to need.  Seriously, Cumin rocks this dish.  It is so insanely good in it

* This is not a dish for the intestinely weak... I have a hard time with most ooey-gooey-creamy dinners, so be careful.  I will seriously avoid dairy for a whole week just so I can eat this dish, it is that stinking good

Thank you, Toni, for this delicious recipe!  You rock, friend!