By Matt Brooks
The Washington Post
It has been a week. Does anyone else feel as if they’re experiencing perpetual whiplash? In the news, at the office, at home, on the road, in the air, everywhere all at once.
It’s overwhelming, and it feels impossible to pull away or tune out the noise. It makes me want to drop everything and go for a long hike in the woods with my dog, with nothing but rustling leaves, gentle breezes and birdsong to disturb the quiet.
That will have to wait until the weekend, but when I feel an urgent need for calm, nourishment and steady ground beneath my feet, I find myself turning to recipes that I know I can rely on. Often, those recipes include quite a bit of melty cheese.
Today, let’s serve up a cheesy, saucy standby that includes a couple of store-bought shortcuts. This recipe, for Enchiladas Suizas (Creamy Enchiladas Verdes), comes from my colleague G. Daniela Galarza, who was eager to find a way to make “Swiss-style” enchiladas a weeknight production.
The star of this enchilada variation is the creamy green sauce made from bright salsa verde and Mexican crema. For the first shortcut, we’re using store-bought tomatillo-based salsa, rather than making our own. Choose a brand with minimal ingredients beyond the building blocks of tomatillos, onion, garlic and chiles.
The salsa goes into the blender with the crema, cilantro, garlic and, if you’re craving a bit more heat, half a jalapeño or serrano pepper. A few pulses, and you’ve got enchilada sauce.
Store-bought shortcut No. 2 is a rotisserie chicken. (Cooked beans or roasted vegetables would also make a fine vegetarian swap.) The cooked chicken is shredded, tucked into warmed tortillas, rolled tightly (in a bowl of the sauce for extra flavor), then arranged in a baking dish before the rest of the sauce is poured over the whole lot.
I enjoy the process of warming, dunking, filling and rolling the tortillas, like a one-person assembly line.
Next comes the all-important shower of shredded cheese, which will bubble and brown in the oven. It’s an inviting family-style presentation, and reason enough to gather around the table, dig in and appreciate a brief reprieve from the noise.
Enchiladas Suizas (Creamy Enchiladas Verdes)
While many recipes for enchiladas Suizas with chicken start with homemade salsa verde, this one uses store-bought salsa for ease. Thick with tomatillos, onions and green chiles, to make them “Swiss-style,” the salsa gets blended with Mexican crema; see Substitutions for other options. To make the enchiladas, dip softened corn tortillas in the creamy salsa before filling and rolling each one like a cigar. Coating each tortilla in the salsa ensures that it doesn’t break when rolled, and infuses the masa and filling with flavor. These enchiladas are filled with cooked chicken — store-bought rotisserie or any leftover cooked chicken works — but you can fill them with whatever you’d like (see Substitutions). Mexican crema can be found at well-stocked supermarkets or Hispanic markets. For the best results, look for a salsa brand that contains little more than tomatillos, onions, garlic and green chiles, such as Herdez, Sabor Mexicano, Cholula or La Costeña.
Makes 4 servings (8 enchiladas)
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (16 ounces) prepared tomatillo-based, Mexican-style salsa verde
2/3 cup Mexican crema (see Substitutions)
12 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves and stems (1/2 ounce), chopped, plus more for serving
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper (optional)
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) cooked and shredded chicken
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Oaxaca cheese or part-skim mozzarella
Thin slices of white or yellow onion, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Have ready a 9-inch square baking dish.
2: In a blender, combine the salsa verde, crema, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño or serrano, if using. Blend until combined but not perfectly smooth, about 10 seconds. This is your enchilada sauce. Pour about half of the mixture (about 1 1/3 cups) into a wide bowl; reserve the rest.
3: Heat a 10- to 12-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. To check whether the skillet is hot enough, sprinkle a drop of water in the center. If it sizzles immediately, it’s ready. Place two or three tortillas — however many will fit — in the skillet, and cook until softened on the bottom, 15 to 30 seconds. Flip and cook until softened on the other side, 15 to 30 seconds more. The tortillas may puff and turn slightly golden, but they should not brown or blacken. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
4: Dip one softened tortilla in the enchilada sauce in the wide bowl until lightly coated all over. Arrange approximately 1/4 cup of the chicken in a line down the center of the tortilla, roll it into a cigar-like shape, and transfer to the prepared dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken, lining the enchiladas in a tight row.
5: Pour the remaining enchilada sauce into the dish, spreading it so it coats each enchilada evenly. (If there is any remaining sauce in the wide bowl, add it to the dish as well.) Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbling and the cheese starts to brown. Garnish with cilantro and onion slices, if desired, and serve hot, family-style.
Substitutions: If you don’t have Mexican crema, use sour cream, half-and-half or plain yogurt. Don’t like cilantro? Use scallions. Chicken can be replaced with pulled pork, 1 1/2 cups cooked beans (canned or home-cooked), or a combination of your choice of proteins. Instead of store-bought salsa verde, you can use homemade.
Variations: For enchiladas verdes, skip the crema.
Storage note: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Recipe from G. Daniela Galarza.
