One thing I’ve got to say about this challenge, is that it really gave me the opportunity to cook something that is unlike anything else I’ve ever cooked. {Directly from my husband’s mouth: “This tastes like nothing you’ve ever made before!”} It definitely was a challenge, too, as I’ve never made roasted peppers before. In fact, I’ve never really made Mexican food. Some variations were allowed for this recipe {yay!}, so I’ve posted the original recipe along with my variations in red. I also had to cut this recipe in half, as it was only serving 2. This one is something that I probably will make again, as it was REALLY tasty! I’d be curious to try it with a bean mixture instead of chicken next time.  

So here it is, the May 2010 Daring Cook’s Challenge!  

Our hosts this month, Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh.  

{Note: The following information is directly from The Daring Kitchen, with my alterations in red. The recipe and methods can also be found on the original website.}  

Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada  

Ingredients  

• 1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles (about eight 6 to 8 inch chiles) 24 ounces 678 grams – roast, peel, remove seeds, chop coarsely. Other green chiles (NOT bell peppers) could probably be substituted but be conscious of heat and size!) {I used 3 Cubanelle chile peppers}
• 7-8 ounces Tomatillos (about 4-5 medium)212 grams – peel, remove stems {I could not find tomatillos anywhere, so I used about 1/2 cup of gooseberries. These worked so well with the sauce!!!}
• 4 cups Chicken broth (32 ounces/920 grams) {I didn’t have chicken broth, so used 2 cups of vegetable broth}
• 1 clove Garlic, minced {I kept this the same for the half recipe I made}
• 2 teaspoons yellow onion, minced {I kept this the same for the half recipe I made}
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano {I used 3/4 tsp for the half recipe}
• ½ tsp Kosher salt (add more to taste) {I used 1/4 tsp salt}
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper (add more to taste) {Used to taste}
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening) {For the half recipe, just cut this in half obviously…}
• Hot sauce, your favorite, optional {Louisiana Hot Sauce!!!! Mmmmm…}
• 2 Boneless chicken breasts (you can also use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs) {I actually kept it to 2 boneless chicken breasts for the half recipe, however I only used 1…}
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil or other neutral vegetable oil (use more as needed)
• Kosher salt and pepper {For seasoning the chicken… I used a dash of cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon also}
• 12 Small Corn tortillas (5-6 inch/13-15 cm). (you can also use wheat tortillas or other wraps) {I used a couple whole wheat tortillas, and cut each into four pie shaped slices}
• 6 ounces grated Monterey Jack, 170 grams (other cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, Mexican cheeses) can be used. Just be sure they melt well and complement the filling)
• Cilantro for garnish, chopped and sprinkled optional {Didn’t use this}

Directions:  

Roasting Fresh Chiles  

• 1. Coat each chile with a little vegetable oil. If you are doing only a couple chiles, using the gas stove works. For larger batches (as in this recipe), grilling or broiling is faster. {I broiled these in the oven, had to turn them three times… Worked like a charm! They get a little smokey though, so turn on the fan…}
• 2. Lay the oiled chiles on the grill or baking sheet (line pan with foil for simpler clean-up). Place the grill or broil close to the element, turning the chiles so they char evenly. They should be black and blistered.
• 3. As they are completely charred (they will probably not all be done at once), remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic, or close up in a paper bag. Let them rest until they are cool.
• 4. Pull on the stem and the seed core MAY pop out (it rarely does for me). Open the chile and remove the seeds. Turn the chile skin side up and with a paring knife, scrape away the skin. Sometimes it just pulls right off, sometimes you really have to scrape it.
• 5. DO NOT RINSE!

Green Chile Sauce  

• 1. Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft. {Using the gooseberries, I simply did the boiling method for this.}
• 2. Drain and puree in a blender or food processor. {I mashed them…}
• 3. Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
• 4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 5. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.
• 6. Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.

Stacked Green Chile and Grilled Chicken Enchiladas  

• 1. Heat a gas grill to medium high or build a medium-hot charcoal Coat the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• 2. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes a side for boneless chicken breasts.
• 3. Cool and then slice into thin strips or shred.
• 4. In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.
• 5. Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most).
• 6. Drain on paper towels.
• 7. Add oil as needed and continue until all 12 tortillas are done.
• 8. In a baking dish large enough to hold four separate stacks of tortillas, ladle a thin layer of sauce.
• 9. Lay four tortillas in the dish and ladle another ½ cup (4 ounces/112 grams) of sauce over the tortillas.
• 10. Divide half the chicken among the first layer of tortillas, top with another ½ cup of sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.
• 11. Stack another four tortillas, top with the rest of the chicken, more sauce and another third of the cheese.
• 12. Finish with the third tortilla, topped with the remaining sauce and cheese. {My whole “layering” got a bit confusing near the end, as my husband was talking to me while I was layering everything… Oh well, it still turned out great!}
• 13. Bake until the sauce has thickened and the cheese melted, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
• 14. To serve, transfer each stack to a plate. Spoon any leftover sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with cilantro, if you wish. The stacks may also be cooked in individual gratin dishes. {I cooked mine in French Onion Soup bowls..}

The finished product! It may not be pretty, but it sure was tasty!!

 There’s also tons of information, links and videos for different methods of roasting chiles, cooking tomatillos & chicken, and on making different types of tortillas. This information can be viewed on the original website.