Creamy, Caramelized Onion & Chicken Enchiladas

I came across this magnificent recipe on another site when looking for a new take on enchiladas. I wanted a white sauce that blended with the cheese instead of the normal red homemade enchilada sauce I am used to making.  I now prefer this to my own enchilada recipe.  While the recipes are similar - adding caramelized onions to this dish with the white sauce brings such a nice balance of sweet against the spicy! I've switched up the original recipe a bit but, still same great taste!   ~ Enjoy! 

  


It all starts with the chicken. You can use whatever you want, shredded, cubed, diced - you can even use turkey.  I had a large pack of chicken breasts that I tossed in my slow-cooker with some nice chicken broth and let that simmer all day until it was time to assemble the enchiladas. You will need 2-3 Cups of Cooked Chicken. (I've used 2 pints of Pressure Canned chicken too) 


Creamy, Caramelized Onion & Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
2 Onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbs Butter
1 tsp Sugar
3 cloves fresh Garlic, minced 
2-3 Cups Chicken, cooked and shredded
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
14 oz can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes *
1 small can of Mild Green Chilies, drained *
(8) 8 inch soft Flour Tortillas
2 Cups of 'Four Cheese Mexican Blend' shredded cheese
2 Cups Heavy Cream
2-3 Tbs Sriracha Sauce 
1 Tbs Red Hot Chili Oil *optional
Salt & Pepper to taste

*sliced fresh avocado, cilantro, black olives and tomato for garnish

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Saute Onions

Add Tomatoes, Green Chilies & Cream Cheese

Add Sriacha Sauce to taste

Chicken mix - well blended

Directions:
In a medium saute pan, add the butter, sliced onions, and sugar. Saute over medium heat for 20 minutes stirring often, until onions are brown in color. After the onions are caramelized, add the minced garlic to the onions and continue stirring the mixture for 2 minutes, to keep the garlic from scorching. Add the cooked chicken, tomatoes, green chilies and cream cheese to the pan with the onions. Continue cooking over medium low heat, stirring constantly until combined. Add salt, pepper and Sriracha (or red hot chili oil) to chicken mixture to your taste preference.  Place cream into a sauce pan and warm slightly (you can add some Sriracha to the cream as well, to your liking) (you will be pouring this over the wrapped enchiladas)  


Divide the filling into 8 portions and wrap inside the tortillas. Put the tortillas side by side tightly in a lightly oiled 13x9 pan (I used light olive oil spray).  See Below: 

place filling onto tortilla

fold bottom flap up once

fold in sides

fold down top once and flip over - done wrapping

place together in baking dish

Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese and pour the warmed cream over the top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. You can broil the top for a minute or 2 at the end, but watch closely!! Let the enchiladas rest for 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE: IF you like it HOT & SPICY - *You can use a can of Hot Rotel and Hot Chilies in place of the Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Mild Green Chilies.



Recipe Adapted from: Aunt Bee's Recipes 
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home

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