Chicken & Avocado Enchiladas

I don’t know about you, but we tend to get into a food rut during the summertime. We grill a lot, eat a lot of sandwiches, fruits and vegetables, and other generally “quick and easy” meals. It’s rare that we want to turn on the oven or heat up the kitchen, and the thought of eating anything hot is pretty unappealing.

Because this dish not only requires me to turn on my oven, but also to actually eat something hot and mildly spicy in the midst of a heat wave, I’m pretty darn surprised that I made it at all. But wow, am I glad I did! It’s cheesy, spicy and full of simple, robust flavors. And really, depending on the amount of cheese you use, it’s a pretty light meal and won’t bog you down in the dog days of summer.

This starts with a quick and easy avocado sauce made from a roux, chicken stock and sour cream, then processed with ultra-ripe avocados. Soften some onions and pepper in a skillet, and use a rotisserie chicken for time’s sake, and you can have this on the table in under an hour, start to finish.

I loved every single bite. The onions and peppers lend a deeper flavor to the chicken and cheese filling, and the avocado sauce is rich and creamy – I could seriously eat it with spoon.

If you need a change from your typical summer-fare, and especially if you’re an avocado fan, you MUST give these a try!

Enjoy!

Chicken & Avocado Enchiladas
Yield: 7-8 enchiladas
Prep Time: 25 minutes ♦ Bake Time: 25 minutes

Enchilada Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 small-medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 poblano peppers, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

8 flour tortillas (medium size)

4 cups shredded, cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)

2 cups grated Monterrey Jack cheese (please grate your own)

Avocado Cream Sauce Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 ripe avocados, peeled, chopped and pitted

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

juice of one lime

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare shredded chicken and shredded cheese and set aside. Make the avocado cream sauce, and saute onions and peppers.

To make cream sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring or whisking frequently. Slowly add chicken stock, and whisk to combine. Cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat or just until the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Whisk in sour cream, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Remove from heat. In a food processor or blender, combine cream sauce, chopped avocados, lime juice and fresh cilantro. Pulse until smooth. Taste, and add salt/pepper to taste.

To saute onions and peppers, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped yellow onion, jalapeno and poblano peppers and stir until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble enchiladas, lay a tortilla flat. Spread approximately 2 Tablespoons of cream sauce down the middle of the tortilla. Top with a heaping spoonful of peppers/onions, then top with chicken and shredded cheese. Wrap tortilla and place, seam side down, into a 9×13 casserole dish. Repeat until you’ve used all ingredients. Top with remaining avocado sauce, the cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool slightly before serving.

If desired, garnish with sour cream and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Recipe source and inspiration: Gimme Some Oven

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