Cooking Lesson #41— Instant Pot Green Chicken Enchilada Stacks

Joan Vieweger fighting the germ bastards

How you doin’? As we continue to be glued to our televisions either watching reruns of NCIS or the Covid-19 news, we are all learning how hard all the scientists and health care providers are working to bring this war on coronavirus to an end as soon as possible. It seems it has the capacity to devastate our country men and women. The germs are relentless. We remind you to maintain social distancing (at least 6-feet) and wear a mask. We are doing our part to beat these little bastards.
 
Okay, on to today’s cooking lesson. I love green chicken enchiladas, but many times I just don’t have the time to make them—prepare the filling, fry the tortillas, grate the cheese, roll the tortilla, bake them and get them on the table. 
 
I creatively copied this simple recipe from a Mexican dish I saw at El Coyote Cafe in Los Angeles. I wanted to find a way to cut the cooking time and eliminate some of the repetitive steps. You won’t be surprised to hear that I use my trusty Instant Pot which cuts cooking time and improves the taste and texture of the filling.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes (estimated Instant Pot cooking time)
Assembly time:  10 minutes
Oven time:  20 to 25 minutes
Yield:  8 stacks
 
Ingredients
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you can use chicken breasts if you prefer white meat)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can (28-oz) green enchilada sauce, divided (I use Las Palmas brand)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 can (4-oz.) mild chopped green chilies
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 red jalapeno peppers, chopped, more or less to taste
1/2 cup peanut oil or other stable vegetable oil for frying
16 corn tortillas, or more to taste
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
 
Directions

1. Mix the chili powder, salt and cumin together in a bowl. Rub the mixture over the chicken.
2. Chop the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
3. Pour the chicken broth and 1 cup of green enchilada sauce into an Instant Pot.
4. Add the chicken and select HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer for 5 MINUTES. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, 1 cup green enchilada sauce, green chiles, onions and jalapenos. Stir to thoroughly blend.
6. Preheat the oven to 350⁰F.  
7. Release pressure on the Instant Pot using the NATURAL RELEASE method according to manufacturer's instructions for 5 MINUTES. Release remaining pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid.
8. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and cool for about 20 minutes. Discard the cooking liquid.
9. Transfer cooled cooked chicken to the mixing bowl with the cheese mixture. Stir until chicken mixture is blended.
10. Heat the peanut oil in a skillet. Fry the tortillas to soften them, 1 at a time, by dipping into the hot oil for 10 to 15 seconds per side. Drain the tortilla on paper towels.

To assemble the stacks

1. Lightly spray 8 individual baking dishes with food release (Pam).
2. Place 1 tablespoon of green enchilada sauce on the bottom of each baking dish.
3. Place a fried tortilla on top of the sauce.
4. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons chicken mixture onto the tortilla.
5. Place the second tortilla on top, add a little green sauce and another 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture. 
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the remaining seven baking dishes.
7. Combine the remaining green enchilada sauce with the red enchilada sauce in a bowl and spoon it evenly over enchilada stacks in the baking dishes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese over the tops of each stack.
8. Bake the dishes in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese begins to brown.

ChefSecret: If you’re not cooking for a crew of eight, cook/finish only what you need and cover with food film the rest keep in your refrigerator or cover with food film and foil and freeze for later.

#InstantPot #GreenEnchiladas #ElCoyote #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19

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