Hello!
Today’s recipe is quite the process BUT so worth it! No real deal authentic enchiladas are ever “fast” and “easy”, and if they are, they are not how our mama makes them. This casserole has authentic flavors but as my mom jokes, it’s one of my weird inventions. I can’t take full credit for this idea since a few years back my sister Amparo created something similar. We were doing a Whole30 in which we cannot have tortillas, and she was craving enchiladas. She made the sauce, added potatoes and made it into a casserole! This recipe came to me when I was making a Shepherd’s Pie. I though about how tasty it would be in Enchilada form, it is!
If you are up to making the real enchiladas, the following sauce is almost exactly how my mom would make it. It’s spicy and can even be used for chilaquiles, tamale filling, and a few other dishes.
After de-seeding, cutting off stem, and blending the chiles used in this sauce, this step is crucial. Discard the skin as you strain the liquid.
The assembly goes: chicken, more sauce (optional), mashed potatoes, and cheese (also optional). Make sure it rests before you cut into it!
Enjoy!
Chicken Enchilada “Shepherd’s Pie”
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts About 1 lb.
- 1/2 Onion Chopped into large chunks
- 1 Dried Bay Leaf
- 2 cups Enchilada Sauce Recipe bellow
- 3-4 Russet Potatoes Peeled and rinsed
- 1 TBSP Ghee or Butter
- 1 cup Chicken Broth From the boiled chicken breasts
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Mexican-Blend Shredded Cheese OPTIONAL
- Cilantro For Garnish
Authentic Red Enchilada Sauce
- 4 oz. Guajillo Chiles De-seeded and stems cut off
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2-3 cups Chicken Broth From the boiled chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a large pot, add chicken, half an onion, and bay leaf with enough water to cover them. Boil until the chicken is fully cooked (about 30 minutes).
- In the mean time, peel and rinse potatoes. Cut them up into large chunks. Boil them in a medium sized pot (about 15 minutes). Drain and set aside when they are done.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, SAVE THE BROTH.
- Using your favorite method, shred the chicken (I used a hand mixer, two forks work too).
- To the shredded chicken, add 1.5-2 cups of Red Enchilada Sauce (recipe bellow) OR store bought. Set aside.
- Once potatoes are tender, drain and mash.
- To the potatoes, add ghee or butter, 1 cup of chicken broth (the one you saved) and 1 tsp salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Now it's time to assemble. Start by greasing your baking dish. I used a 9×6.
- Just like a Shepherd's pie, start with the meat. Add all of the chicken you mixed with enchilada sauce. Add more sauce if you're feeling spicy.
- Next spread the mashed potatoes over the meat. Be careful not to mix the meat with potatoes, it's a layer.
- Finally, top with cheese. To keep it dairy-free, omit this step.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Broil for 3 additional minutes to get it golden brown.
- Let it rest for at least 20 minutes (hardest step). It needs to set. Garnish with cilantro.
Authentic Red Enchilada Sauce
- Fill a medium pot up about half way. Bring water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, cut the stems off the chiles and take the seeds out. If you are sensitive, use gloves. Rinse chiles after.
- Once the water is boiling, turn the heat off and add the chiles, cover and let them sit for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, throw the chiles in a blender along with the garlic, cumin, and chicken broth. Note: You can also use the water used to boil chiles but chicken broth will add more flavor. BLEND on high speed.
- Using a strainer, strain the sauce. You may need to press down with a large spoon to get past the chile skin. Discard the skin.
- Once you get all the "liquid" add 1 tsp salt. If it's too thick, add a little more broth or hot water. It will be spicy but once you add it to the chicken, it will "mild down".
