Epic Enchiladas
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 1/2 pounds shredded chicken (a Costco rotisserie chicken works awesome for this), ground beef or whatever meat you prefer
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
8 large flour tortillas
3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese
1 batch red enchilada sauce (or 1 large can if you are short on time)
1 batch spanish rice (or you can make the instant kind if you’re short on time)
Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
Optional toppings: fresh cilantro, chopped red onions, diced avocado, sour cream, and/or crumbled cotija cheese
Let’s Make it:
Begin making your spanish rice. (this rice recipe takes 50 minutes to cook)
Prep oven and enchilada sauce. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare your enchilada sauce.
Sauté the filling mixture. In large sauté pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meat and green chiles, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the mixture for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is cooked through. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Finish cooking your spanish rice.
Assemble the enchiladas. To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, meat mixture, spanish rice and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add a generous spoonful of the chicken mixture in a line down the center of the tortilla, a generous spoonful of rice, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Assemble the remaining enchiladas. Then spread any remaining sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas, followed by any extra cheese.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside.
Serve. Serve the enchiladas immediately while they’re nice and hot and melty, garnished with lots of fresh toppings.