Verde Chicken Enchiladas (Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas)

Ingredients

• Slow-cooked Mexican Chicken:
• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or boneless chicken thighs)
• 1 (1 1/2 oz.) pkg taco seasoning mix (Make sure it's gluten-free or make your own using the recipe below.)
• 3 Tbsp Hot Sauce or Tabasco or to taste
• 2 Cups chicken broth or water (Make sure it's gluten-free)
• ***
• Salsa Verde (Green Chili Sauce):
• 2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chiles
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lb. tomatillos (about 5 or 6 six large) or 1 10.5oz package of Sunburst golden grape Tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 fresh jalapenos or 1/3 of a small can, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Cup chicken broth (Make sure it's gluten-free.)
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• ***
• For the Enchiladas:
• 1 1/2 Cups corn or vegetable oil
• 12, 6-inch corn tortillas
• 4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 12 oz. shredded cheese (about 3 Cups) Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or combination

Directions

1. Crock-Pot Mexican Chicken:
2. Place chicken in a slow-cooker and sprinkle taco seasoning mix on top of chicken. Then, pour on chicken broth and hot sauce. No need to stir. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours.
3. After 8 hours, the chicken is so tender it falls apart . So, use forks to shred, or pull apart, the chicken. Stir in some of the liquid from the Cock-pot (about a cup).
4. ***
5. Salsa Verde (Green Chili Sauce):
6. Cook tomatillos/tomatoes in a pot of salted (1 tsp) boiling water until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Don't cook too long or they will fall apart. Remove from the water and cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, cutout the stem if using tomatillos.
7. In a blender, combine tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, garlic and 1-1/2 tsp salt. Blend until smooth. Add the green chiles and then enough chicken broth (about 1 Cup) to make sauce a total of 4 Cups. Pulse to desired chunkiness.
8. In a large skillet warm olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the tomato sauce carefully (it may splatter). Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. ***
10. For the Enchiladas:
11. In a deep skillet or large pot, heat 1/4c-1/2c oil over medium/high heat. These will smoke! Using tongs, immerse the tortillas one at a time in the oil, turn them, and then transfer them to paper towels if desired. The tortillas should be in the oil no more than a few seconds per side, and the oil should be hot enough to soften the tortillas but not so hot that the edges begin to crisp.
12. For each tortilla, Place about 1/3 cup chicken, pour 1 TBSP of sauce on it and about 1 TBSP of shredded cheese in the bottom center of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place in a greased baking dish (I use a 9x13 pan.)Continue for the remaining 11 tortillas.
13. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F until heated through, cheese is melted, and sauce is bubbling in about 15 minutes.