Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

2-0 to open the 2025 season. The program is what it is now: a standard, not a project. When Westfield Academy came to town last Friday — the program we've played in two championship games — they played a different kind of game than the first time we faced them seven years ago. They played carefully, with respect in the scheme. They played us like a team that knows it might lose. We won 24-10. After the game their coach shook my hand and said, "You've built something here." I thanked him. He meant it. You can tell when a coach means something and when they're performing it. He meant it.

Diego had his first collegiate start on Saturday. I watched on the streaming service from my phone during the second half of our game — I checked it twice, which was unprofessional of me as a head coach and completely human of me as his father. He rushed for 64 yards and caught five passes in the first start of his college career. After the game he called me. I said, "Good game." He said, "I left yards out there." I said I knew. He knew I knew. He said, "I'll fix it." He will.

Hector texted me after Diego's first college start. He's not a texter — Marisol usually handles the communication. But he texted me himself: "WE ARE WATCHING YOUR BOY." All caps. No punctuation. My father, who is diminished in his body, texted me in all capital letters after his grandson's first college football game. I saved the text. I will save this text for as long as I have a device that can hold it.

Green chile stew. The return of autumn. The smell of September in this kitchen. Ruben is in this too. Everything that has become good in my life is in this pot.

I couldn’t make the green chile stew that week — the season doesn’t wait for grocery runs — so I came back to these enchiladas, which carry the same kind of weight for me: layered, a little spicy, built from things you already have faith in. Diego rushed for 64 yards in his first college start, Hector texted in all caps, and I needed something in this kitchen that felt like the answer to all of it. These enchiladas were that. They always are.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, plus more for drizzling
1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
8 flour tortillas (8-inch)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup diced celery
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Season the chicken. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, buffalo wing sauce, garlic powder, celery, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until evenly coated.
Prep the dish. Spread 1/3 of the enchilada sauce in an even layer across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Fill and roll. Lay a tortilla flat, spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture down the center, and top with a small handful of shredded cheese. Roll tightly and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Top and cover. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top in an even layer.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the edges are lightly golden.
Finish and serve. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with ranch dressing and a little extra buffalo sauce. Top with green onions and blue cheese if using. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas — The Pot That Holds Everything Good