Recipe to share

(Distracting myself while waiting for my mom to call with her appointment results. Normally they call around 7 pm or slightly after)

Anyway, here's a favorite recipe. It's a really good way to use up leftover cooked chicken, or you can get a cheap rotisserie chicken and pull it to bits for it, or you can bake breasts or thighs specifically for it. My parents' church did a gigantic cookbook some years back (more than 10) for their 170th congregational anniversary. This one came from the husband of the then-associate minister. They had both lived in the Southwest for a time and this seems really pretty authentic. But it's also really, really good:

Chicken and cheese enchiladas

1 cup chopped onion (I used green onions and only about 1/4 cup of them this go-round, that was what I had on hand, and it was fine)
2 T butter
2 cups chopped up cooked chicken (breasts, thighs, combination, whatever, can also use turkey)
1, four-ounce can of green chilis (I prefer Hatch brand if you can get it. Hot or mild, I use mild)
3 Tablespoons butter (can get away with a bit less)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon coriander seed (I use cumin)
3/4 teaspoon (or less) salt
2 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
1 cup sour cream
6 ounces of either aged sharp cheddar, Montery Jack, colby-jack, or a mix
12 6" or 8" tortillas (either flour or corn; I used the white-corn "street taco" tiny tortillas for this)

Saute the onion in a saucepan in the 2 T butter. Put aside in a bowl when done and combine with the chicken and chilis.

In the same saucepan as you cooked the onions, melt the 3 Tablespoons butter. Add the flour. Stir to combine. (I add the cumin and salt at the same time). Then slowly pour in the chicken stock and heat and mix until thick and bubbling (medium heat).

Remove from heat, stir in the sour cream and 1/2 cup cheese.

Now: if you are making TRUE enchiladas, briefly dip each tortilla in the sauce and then put about 1/4 cup of the chicken, onion, and chili mix in it, roll it up, put it in a buttered baking dish (9" x 13" or a little smaller). Repeat until all tortillas are filled, then dump the rest of the sauce over it. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake in a 350 degree oven until bubbly, about 25 minutes.

WHAT I DID THIS TIME: I only had dinky tortillas and I had less time to mess with things, so I dumped the chicken, chilis, and onions in the prepared sauce (and I also put all the cheese in at one go) and I layered it casserole style in a pan - layer of tortillas on the bottom, then some of the sauce, then more tortillas, more sauce....I think I did three layers of tortillas and topped it off with more sauce, and baked it the same as for the enchiladas.

This is SO good. The recipe says it serves six and yeah, we usually make this when I am up visiting my parents and it gives just about two servings each. I have to be careful with portion size because I tend to eat too much of this at one sitting (that's how good it is) and then feel uncomfortable later from overeating. It also keeps well leftover in the fridge and you can either gently heat it back up in the oven or zap it in the microwave or even do it in a covered saucepan (maybe add a tiny bit of broth) on top of the stove.

For two people, you could make two smaller pans and freeze one - it freezes well uncooked.