Chicken enchilada paillard
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 2 red peppers, sliced
- Oil for frying
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 chicken breasts, i.e., two full chicken breats
- a clove of garlic, minced
- 1 10-oz can of red enchilada sauce
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz of cheddar cheese, shredded
Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Put onions and peppers in frying pan with a bit of oil. Add a bit of salt and pepper and start softening them over medium heat.
- If the chicken breasts aren't all that big, then flatten them in plastic so that it doesn't spatter. You can flatten them by whacking them with a manly cast-iron frying pan or using the womanly approaching with a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer (mallet). If the chicken breasts are thick, slice them in half again flatwise before pounding. Fry them in oil till they are mostly cooked through. As the chicken gets cooked, transfer to a plate for storage.
- Throw in the garlic, enchilada sauce, cream cheese and half of the cheddar.
- Once all the cheese is melted, briefly dip each piece of chicken in the sauce and then transfer the chicken to casserole dish. Add the onions and peppers to cover the chicken.
- Put sauce on top.
- Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Put in oven for 15-20 minutes till the cheese starts getting brown and delicious on top.
Results
Tasty. Definitely a repeater.
2015-10-24: Variation. I had a bunch of left over pork tenderloin in the freezer that I wanted to use. Instead of red enchilada sauce, I had about 10 oz of left overs of a can of green Macayo's enchilada sauce. So I sauteed the onions and peppers. Mixed the sauce and cream cheese and half the cheddar. Put enough of that on the bottom of the casserole dish to cover it. Added the pork. Covered it with the onions and peppers. Added the remaining half of the cheddar. Popped it in the oven.
This turned out adequately. The pork doesn't combine as well with enchilada sauce as chicken does. Not bad, but no need to repeat.
2015-11-12: I did a beef variation using 2 pounds of hamburger and a 28 oz can of of Las Palmas enchilada sauce. 1/2 tsp black pepper.
This was entirely adequate. I would repeat it for myself, and repeat it for non-picky family.
This made more than my large casserole pan could handle, so I had to also use another half size casserole dish. Next time I would use 1 lb of hamburger and 14 oz of enchilada sauce.
I should try a variation with La Victoria enchilada sauce and Monterey Jack cheese.