Green chicken enchiladas

I don’t know about you, but ever since I started working from home, I’m spending way more time in the kitchen.

Without commenting on how long I ACTUALLY spend in the kitchen on a daily basis, the number of minutes has definitely increased. Because, for me, one of the big perks about having to work from home during this time of isolation is that I have more time to food prep. When I’m working at the office or out at a client site, I get home much later in the day, and generally won’t come home until I’m completely done with work for the day. But when I’m working from home, I can take a pause during the day, prep some ingredients, throw dinner in the oven, and then finish up another hour of work while it bakes away. I love the flexibility that this brings me.

This enchilada recipe is the perfect example of a recipe that I might not make on a normal weeknight. Anything that bakes in the oven is something I normally would try to reserve for a weekend, because, with my work schedule, if I choose something that bakes, I might not get to eat until after 9PM, and no way can I wait that long to eat.

Green chicken enchiladas

I got this recipe from Marcela Valladolid from the Food Network. Marcela is the Food Network expert on Mexican food, having spent a lot of time in Mexico growing up. So when I want a good Mexican recipe, I trust hers as a pretty safe bet.

I got to know – and love – her recipe for enchiladas with a green tomatillo sauce.

Click here for the recipe: Food Network’s Enchiladas Suizas

I made the recipe just as it’s called for, with only a few substitutions. Sometimes my local grocery store doesn’t have all of the great Mexican ingredients, so I’ve made a few substitutions for more common ingredients if i’m in a pinch:

• Substitute a Guero (yellow) chile for a jalapeno or a serrano
• Substitute Mexican crema for sour cream or creme fraiche
• Substitute oaxaca cheese for mozzarella cheese

All of the above substitutions will change the dish a little bit, but it’ll still end up being delicious, and if it saves me a trip to the store, then I’m happy. The one ingredient I definitely don’t recommend substituting is the tomatillos. They really do add the flavor that you need and make this green enchilada sauce absolutely amazing.

Click here for the recipe: Food Network’s Enchiladas Suizas

Here are my in-progress pictures:

The finished product – amazing homemade green chicken enchiladas

I absolutely love green enchilada sauce, and I wouldn’t be opposed to using a pre-made jar of green enchilada sauce in a pinch. But every now and then — when I have the time — I do love to make it from scratch with tomatillos. So while I can’t find tomatillos at my local grocery store every single time, if I do see them, my mind goes to this recipe.

I love garnishing the green enchiladas with all green things: sliced avocado, a sprinkling of chopped cilantro, and a lime wedge. It mirrors the green of the sauce, and just makes the dish look so inviting.

This is definitely a keeper recipe for me, and I’m so glad I found it!

Click here for the recipe: Food Network’s Enchiladas Suizas