Enchiladas Suizas

Though these creamy, cheesy, spicy enchiladas suizas look, smell and taste like they came from a restaurant, the recipe is effortless. Like your favorite Mexican taqueria dish, the secret is the sauce made with simmered, smoky-savory tomatillos, fiery jalapenos, garlic and spices. It’s similar to salsa verde, the backbone of enchiladas verdes, but there’s a secret extra ingredient: table cream. Stirring cream into the sauce makes it extra rich and almost silky. The cream balances out the heat, making it a good choice for those who enjoy spicy food sans watering eyes.

Once the sauce is blitzed in the blender, the dish gets even easier. Stuff tortillas with shredded cheese and chicken (bonus points if it’s leftover rotisserie chicken), roll them up, slather them with sauce and bake them until they’re bubbly. Voila! A comforting, cozy dinner that tastes elaborate but is as easy as your favorite chicken casserole.

Ingredients for Enchiladas Suizas

Salsa:

• Tomatillos: Green tomatillos have a delightfully acidic, earthy, sweet flavor vital to the sauce. Remove their papery husks before using the fruit; just peel them off with your fingertips.
• Jalapeno: A minced jalapeno adds smoky heat to the enchiladas. Deseeding the pepper will dial down the spice.
• Media crema table cream or sour cream: Media crema table cream is a light, shelf-stable cream often sold by the Nestle brand. While it’s a bit thinner and sweeter than sour cream, you can use either one here.
• Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic adds fragrant flavor to the sauce.
• Cilantro leaves: Use fresh cilantro, which packs a fragrant, fresh flavor that the dry stuff can’t match. If cilantro tastes bad to you (it affects certain people differently!), you can omit it.
• Chicken bouillon granules: A shortcut to a savory, rich sauce? Stir in chicken bouillon, a dried, granulated alternative to broth.
• Salt: Salt draws out the flavors of every ingredient and brings the sauce together.

Enchiladas:

• Cooked chicken breast: Use leftover chicken, whether it’s rotisserie, grilled, roasted or poached. Shredding chicken with two forks or in the stand mixer is easy.
• Monterey Jack cheese: Mild, melty Jack is a crowd-pleasing choice to top the enchiladas.
• Onion: Fresh chopped onion adds a zippy punch to the filling.
• Ground cumin: Since the sauce is so flavorful, we keep spices inside the enchiladas simple—just warm, earthy cumin.
• Corn tortillas: Grainy corn tortillas are the traditional choice for enchiladas.
• Toppings: Have diced avocado, sour cream and fresh cilantro on hand.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the sauce vegetables

Place the tomatillos and jalapeno pepper in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Cook the vegetables until they’re slightly soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the pot and set the vegetables aside to cool slightly.

Step 2: Blend the sauce

Transfer the vegetables to a high-powered blender. Add the crema, garlic, cilantro, chicken bullion and salt. Puree them until they form a smooth sauce.

Step 3: Prep the filling

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, 1 cup of the cheese, onion, cumin and 1/2 cup of verde sauce.

Step 4: Sauce the casserole dish

Spread 1 cup verde sauce over the bottom of a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.

Step 5: Make the enchiladas

Place 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture just off center on each tortilla.

Roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down over the sauce in the prepared pan.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken.

Top the rolled tortillas with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top of the casserole dish.

Step 6: Bake

Bake the enchiladas suizas, uncovered, until they’re heated through and the cheese is melted, about 20-25 minutes. Serve the enchiladas hot. If desired, top them with avocado, sour cream and cilantro.

Enchiladas Suizas Variations

• Mix up the meat: Use shredded chicken thighs, steak or shredded beef. You can also make these enchiladas vegetarian by using mushrooms.
• Change the cheese: Most good melting cheeses will work here. Add spice with pepper jack, get funky with aged white cheddar, or use a mixture of your favorites.
• Spice it up: Add cayenne pepper or chili flakes to the chicken filling mixture for added heat.

How to Store Enchiladas Suizas

Cooked suiza enchiladas can be stored in the refrigerator. You can keep them in the casserole dish or transfer them to an airtight container. Once they’ve cooled completely, cover them with storage wrap, foil or a lid.

How long do enchiladas suizas last?

The enchilada suizas last three to four days in the fridge. The tortillas will soften as they sit, but they’ll still be super tasty.

Can you make enchiladas suizas ahead of time?

Enchiladas are best enjoyed fresh from the oven. However, you can make elements of this recipe ahead of time. Prepare the verde sauce up to five days in advance and store it in the refrigerator, tightly covered, until ready to use. Store the chicken filling up to one day in advance.

For the ultimate make-ahead Mexican dinner, you can layer the casserole dish ahead of time (the recipe through Step 5) and store it in the fridge, unbaked, for up to one day. Remove it from the refrigerator while the oven preheats, and bake the enchiladas suizas as directed.

How should you reheat enchiladas suizas?

Reheat enchiladas suizas in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat the enchiladas in their baking dish, or transfer them to an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle them with some water so they don’t dry out, then cover them tightly with foil and bake them until they’re hot, 20 to 25 minutes.

If you’re in a hurry, you can also reheat the enchiladas in the microwave. Simply put your portion on a plate, cover it with a damp paper towel and heat it for one to two minutes until it’s steaming.

Enchiladas Suizas Tips

Can you use store-bought salsa verde for enchiladas suizas?

Yes, if you’re in a hurry, you can use store-bought salsa verde for the homemade. It’s tricky to find verde sauce with the crema added, but you can add that at home: Just stir in 1/2 cup of crema or sour cream to the salsa, then proceed with the recipe from Step 3.

What else can you serve with enchiladas suizas?

Just about any Mexican side dish is delicious with these enchiladas suizas. Since they’re so rich and cheesy, we like to serve them with something fresh: think guacamole, avocado salad or corn and bean salad. Rice and beans are classics, too. Mix up the standard with homemade black beans and rice with cumin.