Vegetarian OR Chicken Enchiladas as a Hybrid Meal (2024)

• 14-16 oz Chicken Breast Tenders
• 3/4 cup Briannas Homestyle Creamy Cilantro Lime dressing in two portions, 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup used in two different parts of recipe
• 6 individual 8 inch flour tortilas
• 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup to build tortillas, 1/2 cup to add to top of cooked tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup canned corn with red and green bell peppers I use Green Giant Steam Crisp Mexicorn
• 1 individual small onion, diced
• 1 individual green pepper, diced
• 1 carton fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can Red Enchilada Sauce, 10 oz I use Old El Paso mild Enchilada Sauce
• 1/2-3/4 cup medium salsa
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil to cook vegetables in frying pan prior to building enchiladas
• 1 individual avocado diced and added on top of cooked enchilada
• 3 individual small tomatoes or one large tomato, chopped

• Smother chicken tenders in 1/2 cup Briannas Homestyle Creamy Cilantro Lime dressing. Stir to coat. Cover and cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. After the chicken is cooked, cut into bite size pieces. Leave the oven on so it will be warm for cooking the enchiladas once they are built.

  

• While the chicken is cooking, dice the onion and green pepper and cook in a frying pan in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Slice mushrooms and add to frying pan. Saute for 8-10 minutes until tender. Remove veggies from the frying pan and put into a bowl.

  

• Prepare an assembly line to build the enchiladas. Line up the ingredients in bowls for easy enchilada building. Set up bowls of the cooked veggies, cut up cooked chicken, 1/4 cup dressing, enchilada sauce, corn, shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2-3/4 cup salsa, and set tortillas in a stack on a plate. Add 2 Tablespoons dressing to the cooked veggies and stir. Drizzle the remainder of the dressing over the cooked chicken and stir. Spray a 9 x 13 inch cooking dish with cooking spray. Place your sprayed cooking dish right next to your assembly line for ease of placing completed enchiladas into the dish. Now the assembly line is prepped and you are ready to build the enchiladas.

  

• For the vegetarians in my family I build the enchiladas in this way. Lay the tortilla open flat on a plate. Down the center of the tortilla spread 1-2 Tablespoon(s) of the cooked veggie mixture in a line, 1 Tablespoon corn, 1/2 Tablespoon salsa. Sprinkle down the line with 1 Tablespoon shredded cheese. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of enchilada sauce along the top. Spread 1/2-1 Tablespoon sour cream on one edge of the tortilla. This will be the "glue" to hold down the tortilla. Fold in the side without sour cream first and then cover with the sour cream side of the tortilla second. Make sure you fold it tight. Hold the enchilada with two hands and place it in the pan.

  

• For the meat eaters build the enchilada the same as for the vegetarian enchilada but add 5-7 pieces of cooked chicken. Make any number combo of meat and vegetarian enchiladas as desired (ie. any number combo to make a total of six). Make sure you pay attention to which side of the pan you place vegetarian enchiladas and which side you place chicken enchiladas as the chicken can be hidden under the tortilla. Tip: I often will prick a few holes in the tortillas of the vegetarian enchiladas on the edge with a toothpick to help remind me which are the vegetarian enchiladas. Once all the enchiladas are built, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.

  

• Cook the completely built enchiladas uncovered on the middle rack of the oven for 32-35 minutes at 400 degrees.

  

• While the enchiladas are cooking, dice the tomatoes and avocado to add to the top of cooked enchiladas. When the tortillas are browned on the edges, after about 32-35 minutes remove the pan and let cool for 10 minutes. Place your plates next to the pan of enchiladas to serve. It is easiest to remove the enchiladas using two spatulas to support the enchilada on the same side while lifting out, and place immediately on the plate placed next to the pan. This helps ensure the enchilada will stay together.

• Top individual enchiladas with a spoonful of diced tomatoes (alternatively with salsa), spoonful of sour cream, and spoonful of diced avocado. Add tortilla chips to the plate if desired for an added tasty crunch.

  

Time to eat!

Enjoy the tasty combination of cilantro, lime, veggies, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and chicken (for the meat eaters). This Vegetarian Or Chicken Enchilada as a Hybrid Meal is a great way to get vegetables into the meal and protein with the cheese and the chicken. Since this recipe involves a lot of steps, I only make it when I have the time to cook. When we have busy evenings running my kids to events, I don't attempt this meal. However I have prepped it earlier in the day and set the pan in the fridge until closer to dinner time for ease of just popping the already built enchiladas into the oven. Just one enchilada with a side of tortilla chips is usually filling enough for each person. However, with big eaters you might want to make two pans and double this recipe.

Enjoy this tasty Mexican dish!

Save

Save