Enchiladas with Homemade Tortillas

Enchiladas are a family favorite around here. They take a long time to make, but they are so beloved. My husband and child, my siblings and their spouses, and my parents all love them. This dish is always one that receives many praises regardless of who is having. They also make great leftovers.

Yields: 6-8 servings

Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

Tortillas: which can be made with the recipe provided or save time and buy 12-16 medium sized tortillas from the store.

6 cups flour
3 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 sticks buter
1 cup water

Chicken filling:

4-6 raw chicken breasts (depending on how much meat you want in each enchilada)
32oz chicken broth
10oz diced or crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons garlic powder
20oz of shredded colby jack cheese (for filling inside and on top of enchiladas)

Sauce:

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
24-32oz chicken broth

Instructions:

If you are making the tortillas yourself, you will want to start with the tortillas. However, if you are not, then skip to the chicken filling. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix together. Heat water and butter together in measuring cup using the microwave, or you can melt it in a sauce pan if you do not have or use a microwave. Once butter is completely melted, add to flour mix and mix with a wooden spoon until mostly combined. Then carefully knead hot dough until it is no longer sticky. Let rest for 30 minutes. Then split it into 16 equal parts and roll into balls. Start cast iron skillet at 4 heat on stovetop. Start rolling out tortillas, and once pan is warm, put individual rolled out tortilla on pan. When the tortilla is ready to be flipped, it will begin to bubble and rise. Likewise, when it is ready to be pulled from the pan, it will bubble. Do this for all tortillas until you run out of dough.
In a 5 gallon pot with a lid, add chicken broth and garlic powder. Dissolve powder then add tomatoes and chicken breasts. Cook on heat 6-7 for 35 minutes. Shred the chicken once cooked and slightly cooled.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the chicken is about 25 minutes into cooking, I start my sauce. The thickness of the sauce is personal preference. In a sauce pan, add vegetable oil and flour. Stir consistently until its a toasted brown. If you walk away, it will burn and you will have to start over, so keep a close eye. Once brown, add chili powder, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and cayenne powder. Let cook in roux for about 2 minutes until you can smell the aroma. Start adding chicken broth 1/4 cup at a time, whisking as you add. Because I feed my enchiladas to toddlers, I add extra chicken broth so it is not as spicy. Watch the thickness and taste for flavor throughout to determine how spicy you want the sauce to be. You will need a minimum of 20oz of sauce to make 12 enchiladas. Once you are content with the flavor allow to shimmer on low for 10 minutes, mixing every few minutes to prevent burning.
Prep oven safe glass baking tray, about 9″x13.5″. If you have two glass baking trays, you can prep both, or you can just reuse the tray after removing cooked enchiladas if you only have one. Add 1/4 cup of sauce and spread it with a spatula to cover bottom of tray.

For enchilada filling, on tortilla, add 1/2 Tbsp of sauce, then 1/4 cup shredded chicken or more if you want more meat, and sprinkle desired amount of cheese. Roll tortilla up and place in prepared glass baking tray. Repeat process until the tray is filled.

Add 1/4-1/2 cup of sauce to the top of enchiladas then sprinkle desired amount of shredded Colby Jack cheese. If you use store bought tortillas, cook in preheated oven for about 18 minutes. If you use fresh homemade tortillas, cook in preheated oven for about 13-14 minutes. You will know they are done when the tips of the tortillas are slightly brown and the cheese is fully melted. Let cool for 15-20 minutes, then serve right away.