Freezer Chicken Enchiladascooks Country Recipes

Steps:

• To make ahead: Blend tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chipotle, cumin, coriander, salt, and broth in blender until smooth. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add tomato mixture, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until mixture is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
• 2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Toss 3/4 cup sauce with chicken, 1 cup cheese, cilantro, and jalepeños.
• 3. Place 5 tortillas on baking sheet and lightly coat both sides with cooking spray. Bake tortillas until just pliable, about 2 minutes. Working quickly, transfer one tortilla at a time to work surface, fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture, and roll tightly. Transfer, seam side down, to large plate. Repeat warming and rolling process with remaining 5 tortillas. Place plate in freezer until enchiladas are frozen, at least 1 hour.
• 4. Place remaining sauce in freezersafe container and press 2 layers of plastic wrap directly onto surface of sauce. Tightly wrap enchiladas in bundles of 5, first in plastic and then in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
• 5. When ready to serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Defrost enchilada sauce in microwave on defrost setting, about 12 minutes.
• 6. Coat 13 by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange frozen enchiladas in single layer in baking dish and coat tops with cooking spray. Bake until tops of tortillas are just beginning to flake, about 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven, top enchiladas with 1 1/2 cups sauce, and bake 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese and bake until cheese melts and center of casserole is hot and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve, passing remaining sauce and garnishes (see note above) at table.
• How to Freeze and Bake Enchiladas: Tightly wrap the chilled enchiladas in bundles of five, first in plastic and then in foil. The sauce should be frozen separately.

Steps:

• Using a large, non-stick skillet, cook onion and green peppers in 2 T. butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl with the cut-up cooked chicken and can of chili peppers. Set aside.
• Using the same skillet, make the sauce: Melt the rest of the butter and stir in the flour, coriander, and salt. Add in the chicken broth and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Take 1/2 cup of the sauce and add to the bowl with the chicken mixture.
• This is the part that gets a little bit messy. (I line 2 baking sheets with foil to make easy clean-up and set up a little assembly line.) Quickly dip each tortilla into the skillet with the hot sauce to soften. (If the sauce gets too cool it will thicken and you'll have a hard time covering all 12 tortillas.) Put the coated tortilla on a cookie sheet and add about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture. Roll up. Arrange rolls side-by-side on the other lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. If there is any leftover sauce, pour it over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• To serve right away: Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• To freeze: flash freeze. Fold the sides of the foil around enchiladas. Use more foil or plastic wrap as needed. On serving day, thaw completely and bake uncovered at 350 for about 25 minutes until bubbly.