Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

The workshop was Saturday. June 10. Two hours. Twelve women. One outcome I did not anticipate: three of them cried.

I arrived at the church at eight-thirty to set up the two folding tables in the Relief Society room. Laminated handouts, gallon freezer bags in four sizes, Sharpies, masking tape for labels, my timing list checked against the clock. The women started arriving at nine. Sister Williams, Sister Pacheco with a new baby on her hip, Sister Naylor who drives from Springville for every ward activity, and nine others I knew by name and casserole but not well enough for what happened in the next two hours.

We assembled twenty meals. Taco soup, four batches. Chicken enchilada filling portioned into bags. Shepherd's pie filling in quart bags. I talked while we worked, costs and ratios and labeling protocol and the logic of the system, and I could feel myself stop being nervous somewhere around the forty-minute mark, when I realized I was not teaching anything I had to think about. I was telling people what I do, and what I do works, and they could feel that it worked.

At the end, Sister Pacheco said quietly that she had been eating takeout four nights a week because she could not face cooking after six o'clock and she felt terrible about it, and now she did not have to. Two other women nodded and then their eyes went bright and that was the three. I hugged Sister Pacheco. I hugged everyone. I drove home and sat in the church parking lot for a few minutes before starting the engine. Something between relief and purpose. Something like the first warm day after a winter you thought would not end.

Sister Williams called Sunday morning. Three women had already asked about a second workshop. I said yes before I had thought about it, and then sat down at the kitchen table and started planning the second one because that is who I am and the planning is already a pleasure.

The chicken enchilada filling was the one that got the most questions as we worked — people kept lifting the bags and asking how long it kept, whether it needed to be thawed overnight, whether their kids would eat it. The answer to all three is: yes, no, and yes. This is the version I use, scaled for a single family batch rather than four simultaneous workshop batches, and it is exactly as straightforward as I made it sound on Saturday. If Sister Pacheco is reading this, this is the one. Four nights a week just became one bag from the freezer and thirty minutes in the oven.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 1/2 cups salsa verde (store-bought or homemade)
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese, divided
10–12 small flour tortillas (6-inch)
1/2 cup sour cream (for topping, optional)
Fresh cilantro and sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cook the chicken. Place chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with water by one inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook 18–22 minutes, until cooked through. Drain and let rest 5 minutes. Shred with two forks or use a stand mixer on low for 30 seconds.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, 3/4 cup of the salsa verde, diced green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add cream cheese and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and the mixture holds together.
Prep for freezing or baking. If freezing, portion the filling into a labeled gallon freezer bag and freeze flat for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling. If baking immediately, preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Assemble the enchiladas. Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining salsa verde across the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling down the center of each tortilla, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Top and bake. Pour the remaining salsa verde evenly over the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and edges are lightly golden.
Rest and serve. Let the pan rest 5 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, fresh cilantro, and sliced green onions if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas — The Filling That Made Three Women Cry (In the Best Way)