Cream Cheese Chicken and Green Chile Enchiladas

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Makes 8 to 10 enchiladas (4 or 5 servings)

When you cook for a living, it’s a real treat when someone cooks for you. Shannon and I were working on a ranch in northern New Mexico when we had a day off before moving the wagon to another camp. The assistant manager and his wife, Rem and Stormie, invited us back to headquarters for supper. This recipe was inspired by the enchiladas Stormie made for us that night. Every bite was tender and creamy and had a kick of green chilies. Thank ya’ll for the hospitality.

• 2 medium bone-in chicken breasts
• 2 medium bone-in chicken thighs
• Salt and black pepper
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• ½ cup milk
• 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• 8 to 10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Enchilada Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Rub both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a 9-x-13-inch casserole dish. Pour the chicken broth into the dish. Cover with tin foil.

3. Bake the chicken for about 1 hour, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven. Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool. Discard the broth.

4. About 20 minutes before the chicken has finished baking, melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until tender.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the milk. Heat until warm. Cut the cream cheese into small chunks and add to the skillet. Keep cooking, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts.

6. Stir in the green chilies, cumin, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and garlic salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings to taste, if desired. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes to blend the flavors, stirring constantly.

7. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken, using a fork. Stir the chicken into the cream cheese mixture.

8. Evenly spoon the chicken mixture onto the flour tortillas, 2 to 3 tablespoons per tortilla, and then tightly roll up.

9. Pour about one third of the enchilada sauce into an 11-x-13-inch casserole dish. Place the enchiladas in the dish and pour the remaining sauce over the top.

10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tortillas soften and the dish is hot. About 5 minutes before the enchiladas are done, sprinkle with the cheese and continue baking until the cheese melts.

11. Sprinkle with additional cayenne pepper and/or cumin (optional) and serve warm.

Enchilada Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Makes about 3½ cups

• 1½ cups sour cream
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies
• Pinch of ground cumin
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth.