Enchilada Bowls

These chicken enchilada bowls are GOOD. The recipe is a tiny bit fussier than I usually go for on a random night, as you have to have more than one thing going at once, but it’s the kind of meal that creates pure, blissful silence at what is usually a very raucous dinner table. Silencing my children is always high up on my list of achievements, so that would be enough for me. But It’s also just fabulously delicious.

I am no expert on Tex Mex or Mexican food, so it’s possible this is heretical in its simplicity and flavouring. But I do not care. I love it. Everyone who eats it loves it. It’s completely flexible, can be made in advance, and can easily be made gluten- and dairy-free if that’s your thing.

We’re about to give up our dated kitchen to move up to our new home’s second kitchen (I know…) on the 2nd floor (3rd floor for you North Americans) as we renovate our ground floor, extend the kitchen, and build me the kitchen of my modest little kitchen dreams. There will be no hot water tap, no wine fridge, no fancy French range, but THERE WILL BE A PANTRY! While the 2nd kitchen, which was used by the boarders who lived here before we bought the house late last year, has an oven an a 4-burner electric stove, we’re not exactly sure how well they work…so all this is to say that chicken enchiladas might be out of my reach for a little while. Which means you should make them, perfect them, give me your tricks and tips, and then in 4 - 5 months, I’ll come back with a cooking vengeance, a pantry, and a bowl full of chicken enchiladas.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA BOWLS

I was heavily influenced here by Nagi’s recipe from RecipeTinEats. Have a look there if you want a purely classic recipe! In my recipe, below, the ingredient amounts are all suggestions, go with what you’ve got and what you like! Chicken thighs can be subbed with chicken breasts, leave out the garlic if you’re not a fan, it’s really up to you. Everything can be made ahead, quantities can be doubled, it’s really forgiving. I love to serve these on a hot bed of black rice, as I love it more than any other kind of rice, but serve it on salad, in tortillas, on white or brown rice, or serve it alone. Leave out the shredded cheese and POOF it’s non-dairy. Substitute the flour for gluten-free flour and POOF it’s gluten-free. My quantities listed will generously serve about 6 people. (Make more than you think you need - the leftovers are epic with a fried egg on top.)

Chicken & Spice Mix

1 - 2 kgs (1.5 - 3lbs) chicken thighs

1 teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin, dried oregano

pinch of cayenne pepper and paprika (or more if you like it spicy!)

Filling

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 can of refried beans

1 cup (approx) frozen corn

1/4 cup water

Enchilada Sauce

3 tablespoons cup olive oil

1/3 cup flour

2 cups broth or water

1.5 cups tomato passata or puree

salt to taste

To Serve

4 cups cooked black rice (sub with any kind of rice or tortillas or shredded lettuce or a combination)

1 cup or so shredded cheese

cilantro/coriander (optional)

sour cream (optional but not optional because it’s so good)

avocado (optional)

salsa (optional)

tortilla chips (optional)

Make the spice mix by mixing them all in a large bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons or so and put aside, then toss the chicken thighs to coat in the spice mix. In a large frying pan, heat some oil (olive or vegetable or similar) and cook the spice-coated chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes each side. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked, and set aside until cool enough to shred.

When the chicken is cooked, use the same pan to make the filling by gently frying the onions, garlic and bell pepper in a bit more oil. After a few minutes, add in the reserved little bit of spice mix, the refried beans, the frozen corn and the water. Mix and cook for a few more minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to touch, shred it into the filling and mix it all up over medium heat for another minute then turn off the heat. This can be made a few days ahead and reheated when it’s go time!

While you’re prepping the other stuff, make the enchilada sauce — this is super easy! Just make a roux by heating up a good amount of oil in a small pan then whisking in the flour over medium heat for at least 2 minutes. It will clump together, that’s good! Slowly whisk in the water/broth and the passata. Add salt to taste and set aside until you’re ready to use. This can be made ahead and reheated for the big show.

To assemble: there are a million ways you can put this together.

CLASSIC — The classic way is to roll up the chicken and filling in tortillas with some shredded cheese, jam the filled tortillas in a dish, cover with the enchilada sauce and more shredded cheese and bake until it’s all gooey and melty. I looooove enchiladas but this is a really time-consuming method as you have to stuff and roll each individual enchilada.

RICE BOWL — This is my personal favourite way to prepare and eat enchiladas. The easiest way is to pile some hot rice into individual bowls, top with the chicken filling and the warm enchilada sauce. Serve the extras (shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, avo, cilantro/coriander, tortilla chips, etc.) at the table. OR if you, like me, require your cheese to be melty and gooey, turn on the oven, spread the rice in the bottom of a large casserole dish, top with the chicken filling, then a layer of shredded cheese, then the enchilada sauce then another bit of shredded cheese. Bake for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Scoop out and serve in individual bowls with the toppings on the table.