Happy Diecisiete de Mayo!

Hangry BFs parents were in town recently and I had the privilege to learn how to make his favorite meals straight from the source - his mom!  The first thing we made were her famous enchiladas.  Typically she just makes them with cheese and scallions, but I added chicken for a Hangry District twist. Check out how we did it below.

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Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Hangry Timer: 1 hour
Feeds: 6
Cost: $15

What You Need:

~12 Small Corn Tortillas, or 8 Large
1 10 oz. Can Enchilada Sauce
1/2 Cup Milk (optional)
2 Cups Mild Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 Cups Jalapeño Cheese, shredded
1 Bunch Scallions, chopped
1 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Cayenne Pepper
Smoked Paprika
Cumin
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Cilantro

What To Do With It:

Preheat oven to 325º.

Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel and season it with the cayenne, paprika, cumin, garlic/onion powders, salt and pepper.*  Heat a saute pan to medium high heat and sear both sides of the chicken breast for 6-7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Let cool, shred and set aside.

Add 1 TBSP olive oil to the pan and heat over medium heat.  Saute the scallions until they are just wilted - add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat 3 TBSP olive oil in the same pan again and fry the corn tortillas in batches of three until they are just malleable and soft so that they can be stuffed and rolled easily. Drain on a paper towel.

Stuff the tortillas with a little chicken, scallion and shredded cheese.  Roll and tuck into a 9x13 pan seam side down.

Continue rolling and tucking enchiladas into the pan until it is full.

Spoon the enchilada sauce all over the tortillas.**  Top with shredded cheese.***

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.  Top with fresh cilantro and serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa! Olé!

*Sprinkle the seasoning on to your liking. I always make sure that each side is fully covered in each spice - I like to take a trip to flavor town.

**If you are adverse to spicy food, mix the enchilada sauce with milk to mellow it out.

***Shredding your own cheese reduces the amount of starch in the dish. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in potato starch, making it harder to melt - but it still works fine!

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