You'll love this recipe for enchiladas verdes (chicken and cheese enchiladas). While the enchiladas themselves are quite tasty with any bottled hot sauce or enchilada sauce, Milk Street's homemade green chili and tomatillo sauce is a gamechanger.

Green Enchiladas with Chicken and Cheese (Enchiladas Verdes)

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 medium poblano chilies (about 12 ounces), stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked, cored and chopped
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 11/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
  • 6 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • Eight 6-inch corn tortillas
  • Lime wedges, to serve

Directions:

Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. In a large pot over medium-high, combine one tablespoon of the oil, the poblanos, tomatillos, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are well-browned and beginning to soften, five to eight minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about five minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for five minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth, about one minute. Add the cilantro and continue to process until smooth, about one minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spread one cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cheese, hot sauce, one and a half teaspoons salt and one teaspoon pepper; set aside.

Brush both sides of the tortillas with the remaining two tablespoons oil, then arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet (it’s fine to overlap them slightly). Cover tightly with foil and warm in the oven just until soft and pliable, about three minutes.

Uncover the tortillas; reserve the foil. Lay the tortillas out on a large cutting board or clean counter. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas (about three heaping tablespoons each), arranging and pressing the filling in a line along the bottom edge of each tortilla.

Working one at a time, roll up the tortillas to enclose the filling and place seam side down in a tight row down the center of the prepared baking dish. Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce over the enchiladas. Cover tightly with the reserved foil and bake until the cheese begins to melt out of the ends, about 15 minutes.

Uncover and spread 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Re-cover and let stand for five minutes. Serve with lime wedges and the remaining sauce.