Enchiladas are a popular Mexican chicken casserole dish made with tortillas wrapped around a chicken filling and covered in chili pepper sauce and cheese. The dish has been around since the early 19th century and is a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine. Different variations exist, including a layered version and an Americanized version with a cheese sauce.
Tortillas have featured prominently in Mexican cuisine for millennia, dating back to Mayan times – from simple tacos and burritos to more complex quesadillas and enchiladas. The latter recipe is perhaps the most popular way of making a Mexican chicken casserole in 2011, involving a long string of corn or flour tortillas that are wrapped, burrito-like, around a chicken filling and then sprinkled in a chili pepper. red or green made with enchilada sauce and other cheese before cooking. A few different configurations are possible, including one similar to lasagna and another that takes on a Southern flavor for a decidedly Tex-Mex profile.
The encilada began appearing in Mexican culinary literature in the early 19th century, following independence in 1821. It appears to be more of a standard of American-influenced Tex-Mex cuisine, using not only chicken but also shrimp, pork, or other meats with equally delicious effects. The distinctive and complex tomato-based chile sauce needed for this meal is readily available in Mexican and even American markets, typically labeled “enchilada sauce.” Also crucial is that the filling of this Mexican chicken casserole is prepared with a healthy infusion of chiles – from green or red varieties. The word “enchilada” actually means “stuffed with chili,” so the better.
Chef Tyler Florence of Food Network uses five whole green chiles and four chipotle chiles scattered in a recipe for 16 enchiladas. The seasoned chicken is grilled or sauteed in broth and chiles, then set aside to be chopped. The remaining broth then forms the basis for the rest of the filler ingredients such as more chopped fresh chiles, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and a light dusting of flour.
Once the chicken stuffing is done, the rest is simple assembly. Enchilada sauce spreads across the bottom of a casserole dish, followed by a row of small chicken burritos filling along with other ingredients like refried beans, cheese, and some enchilada sauce. This Mexican chicken casserole is then covered in enchilada sauce and a cheese medley. The flavors will be well-combined in about half an hour at 350°F (about 177°C).
Other variations of this Mexican chicken casserole take on a slightly different look. A recipe on the My Recipes website makes three layers of a chicken enchilada stuffed with rows of corn tortilla filling, all topped with more cheese and chopped tortilla chips. The cooking time and temperature are the same for enchiladas. Another Mexican chicken casserole comes courtesy of Food Network star Paula Deen. This is perhaps one of the more Americanized versions, with the cheese sauce inside the casserole made up of equal parts cream of chicken, cream of mushroom and cheddar soup, with shredded cheddar on top for the last cholesterol-soaked layer .
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