Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

Makes: 12 enchiladas (2 9x13 pans) - plan on 1 1/2 per person

5 from 1 vote

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 8

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

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Ingredients

Chicken:

2 ½ lb chicken (enough for 6 cups shredded)
cumin & salt for seasoning

Filling:

1 Tbsp cumin
¼ tsp salt (more or less to taste)
8 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or other white cheese (you use 2 more cups later on))

Sauce:

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour (can use 4 1/2 tsp cornstarch, but not nearly as creamy)
3 cups broth
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 medium jalapeno (seeded & finely diced (or 1 small can of chopped green chilis))
1 ½ cups sour cream (you can substitute cream cheese)

Other Ingredients:

12 10-inch flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or other white cheese - for sprinkling on top)

Instructions:

Pre-prep:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the chicken in a baking dish and cover with cumin and salt. (If you need chicken broth, add 3 cups of water to the pan.)
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken shreds easily.
Remove from the oven, shred, and chill.

Filling & Assembly:

If baking the enchiladas immediately, preheat the oven to 375°. Grease 2 9x13 baking pans.
In a medium bowl, mix the shredded chicken, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, softened cream cheese, and 2 cups of shredded cheese together. *You want the mixture to be moist but not soupy. If it isn't moist, add a tiny bit of chicken broth.
Place a spoonful of the mixture into the tortilla, roll it up, and place it in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling.
If not baking immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (or you can freeze them for later on).

Sauce:

In a saucepan, combine the butter, flour, broth, and seasonings. Whisk until smooth.
Heat over medium heat until it bubbles and begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and chopped jalapenos (or green chilis).
If baking immediately, continue with recipe, otherwise cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
When time to bake, pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top each pan with another cup of cheese.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until it is vigorously bubbling and the cheese is browning. *If cooking from frozen, add time accordingly.

Notes:

Chicken Broth: You could add 3 cups of water to the chicken when you cook it, then use that water in place of the chicken broth.

Make Ahead: These are great to prepare ahead of time. I think the enchiladas might get soggy if you put the sauce on them ahead of time, so I would recommend just keeping the sauce in a separate container until you are ready to bake it. You can freeze the enchiladas too. Just adjust the baking time appropriately.

Diet: Egg Free