Chicken Skillet Enchiladas

As I was served my husband these skillet enchiladas for the third time in two weeks, I told him, "I may never make regular enchiladas again." 

He looked up from his computer and said, "Wait, what? Seriously, dinner is already ready?" 

That pretty much sums up this meal. It's incredibly fast and easy, yet still manages to have all the enchilada deliciousness we love in our household. Instead of rolling up enchilada ingredients in tortillas and baking them in the oven, everything is thrown together in a skillet and stirred up. While this is not a meal for those who enjoy the beauty of a tray of neatly rolled enchiladas or maybe for serving to guests, it's perfect for just about every other situation. It's also incredibly adaptable, so if there are enchilada ingredients you love it's easy to just throw them in. Want it less spicy? Leave out some chili powder or add some diced tomatoes. It is as versatile as it is easy, and delicious to boot. Give it a try and you may never make regular enchiladas again.

Skillet Chicken Enchiladas

By HeatOvenTo350 Published 04/05/2013

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 12 soft corn tortillas, torn into 2 inch pieces
• 1-2 cans chopped green chiles
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat, add oil and heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and cook until onion is softened, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add chili powder, garlic, cumin and sugar and cook briefly, (15-30 seconds) before adding tomato sauce and water.
3. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt. Pour sauce (should be about 2 1/2 cups) into a medium glass bowl and set aside.*
4. Add chicken and tortilla pieces to the now-empty skillet and heat and stir until warmed, about 5 minutes.
5. Preheat broiler and add sauce back to the skillet along with the green chiles and 1 cup of the cheese. Fold the sauce into the chicken and tortilla mixture until evenly mixed.
6. Top enchilada mixture with remaining cup of cheddar cheese and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Top with chopped cilantro (if using) and serve hot.

*Note: I did try just adding the tortillas and chicken right to the sauce in the skillet instead of heating them up separately and I didn't like the results as much. The tortillas broke down too much by the time everything had warmed up and it ended up being more of a gluey mess.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Recipe Source: HeatOvenTo350, inspired by readyseteat.com 

Posted in: Main Dish