Easy chicken enchiladas - cooking for a crowd

What can you make when you are cooking for a crowd, and don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen all night?

 My go-to dish for when we have had friends over (pre-lockdown of course) has become chicken enchiladas. They are easy to prepare, can be made in large quantities and a lot of the prep done in advance. You can also dial up or down the spice depending on preference.

 My recipe is more a guideline than a list of exact quantities, but that’s another beauty of this dish – you can add all sorts of things.

 

Easy chicken enchiladas

You need:

Soft tortilla wraps – allow one per person

Chicken – either breasts or boneless thighs, again allow 1 per person if breast, 2 per person if thigh

Packet of fajita seasoning

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 de-seeded and finely chopped red chili or ½ tsp of dried chilli flakes

500g box of passata (sieved tomatoes)

About 150g grated cheese

 

Fry the chopped onion, peppers and chilli and then add the chicken – this can be done in advance to save time. I sometimes use a packet of fajita seasoning or you can use your preferred spice from a jar, such as Cajun chicken seasoning. I usually fry the chicken but you could also cook in the oven. Allow to cool and shred the chicken and set the chicken and vegetables to one side or refrigerate if using later.

 Preheat oven to 180C.

 Take a large baking tray with deep sides – I usually use a roasting tin. Grease lightly (I spray with Fry Light) to make sure the tortillas don’t stick. On a plate or chopping board, spread a few spoonfuls of the chicken, onion and pepper mixture down the centre of the tortilla and roll up. Place at one end of the roasting tin.

 Repeat with the other tortillas until the tin is filled. Pour the passata over the top, making sure all parts of the tortillas are covered. Sprinkle cheese over the top, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

 Cut into squares to serve. This goes well with potato wedges and a green salad.

 

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Goat's Cheese Enchiladas

I've been meaning to post this recipe for ages - it's not really a hot weather dish, but let's face it we haven't had a lot of hot weather recently! It's something you can do in the slow cooker on a weekend or when you are out at work (that being the beauty of slow cookers). I did it on a day when I was working from home so I could put everything in the slow cooker at lunchtime and forget about it until dinner time.

I really like goat's cheese (which is lucky as I once won a year's supply) and love enchiladas but had only made chicken ones before, so thought this recipe for butternut squash and goat's cheese enchiladas looked amazing - and it isn't something I'd have thought to do in the slow cooker but it works brilliantly.

The recipe is from a book called The Slow Cooker. To serve 4, you need:

1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp salt

3 tsp ground cumin

1 large onion, diced

1 tbsp. dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp. chilli powder

450g canned pureed tomatoes or passata

1 tbsp. clear honey

450ml vegetable stock

12 corn tortillas (I used flour tortillas)

225g goat's cheese

Preheat the oven to 200C. Toss the diced butternut squash with 2 tbsp. of the oil, half the salt and 1 tsp cumin. Roast in a baking dish for 30-40 minutes until softened. I sometimes do extra and add the rest to a salad.

Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and and the onion and garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes until soft, then add the rest of the cumin, the salt, chilli powder and oregano and cook for a minute. Stir in the tomatoes, honey and stock, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins. Blend until smooth in a food processor or blender.

Spoon a little sauce into the base of your slow cooker so the tortillas don't stick. Cover the bottom of the slow cooker with a layer of tortillas (one might be enough depending on the size) and top with a layer of butternut squash, some sliced goat's cheese, a layer of sauce, and another tortilla.

Layer again with squash, cheese and sauce and finish with some sauce and some cheese. Cover and cook on the slow cooker's lowest setting for about 2 hours, and enjoy!



I'm sending this to Meat Free Mondays, hosted by Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes.

Baked Prawn Enchiladas with Feta Cheese

 

 

This dish is a real fusion of cultures but is absolutely delicious. I've had chicken enchiladas before but not prawn; I got the idea from this recipe on The Girl Who Ate Everything; I recommend checking out her blog. I adapted it as you will see.

 

To serve 1 or 2 - 1 enchilada is fine per person if you have it with vegetables or salad, otherwise you might want two.

You need:

2 flour tortillas

Fry Light or oil to fry

1/4 red pepper, finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

200-250g cooked and peeled prawns (a 175g pack is fine too)

1 heaped tsp Old Bay seasoning from Baltimore - or if understandably you can't get this, I would recommend 1/4 tsp chilli powder, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp celery salt and 1/4 tsp ginger.

handful of fresh coriander, chopped

squeeze of lime juice

 

for the sauce:

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp plain flour

200ml fish stock

150g feta cheese, crumbled

50ml double cream or milk

 

Preheat the oven to 180C. Finely chop the red pepper and onion and crush the garlic. Spray a small frying pan with Fry Light and fry the vegetables until softened.

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Shrimp Mixture:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 cup white onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa verde

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/05/creamy-shrimp-enchiladas-and-dinner-and-a-movie-with-the-dating-divas.html#Zy31CxIG0dJfSHEq.99

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Shrimp Mixture:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 cup white onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa verde

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/05/creamy-shrimp-enchiladas-and-dinner-and-a-movie-with-the-dating-divas.html#Zy31CxIG0dJfSHEq.99

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Shrimp Mixture:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 cup white onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa verde

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/05/creamy-shrimp-enchiladas-and-dinner-and-a-movie-with-the-dating-divas.html#Zy31CxIG0dJfSHEq.99

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Shrimp Mixture:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 cup white onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa verde

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/05/creamy-shrimp-enchiladas-and-dinner-and-a-movie-with-the-dating-divas.html#Zy31CxIG0dJfSHEq.99

 

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Shrimp Mixture:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 cup white onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa verde

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/05/creamy-shrimp-enchiladas-and-dinner-and-a-movie-with-the-dating-divas.html#Zy31CxIG0dJfSHEq.99

Add the prawns - if they are already cooked, they only need to be heated through - and the seasoning. A colleague bought me this Old Bay seasoning from Baltimore, as it's where our company's head office is located. I'm going there myself in a couple of weeks which I'm really looking forward to.

Make the sauce - heat the butter in a small pan until melted and stir in the flour to make a roux. Gradually stir in the stock until you have a smooth sauce. Add the crumbled feta cheese and heat until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened. Finally stir in the double cream or milk.

 

 Distribute the prawn mixture over the two flour tortillas.

Place the tortillas in a baking tin - I used a small tin but if you are making more tortillas you should be able to fit them into a large roasting tin. Pour the cheese sauce over the top and bake for 15-20 minutes.

They are ready when the cheese starts to brown.

I served these with broccoli; I think any green veg or salad would work. They were absolutely delicious and something I will definitely make again.

As I used feta cheese in this recipe - even though enchiladas are Mexican - I am sharing this with Chris at Cooking Around the World as his global blogging challenge is visiting Greece this month. I hope he excuses the fusion of other cuisines in this dish!