Pen & Pantry: Crispy Skillet Chicken Enchiladas

Sometimes you get lucky when you’re not a meal prepper, but you have the ability to look inside the refrigerator and use what you have.

In my case, I’ve been pretty lucky. Some of my best meals — per my taste-testing daughters — are those I threw together at the last minute. 

The night after we returned from a whirlwind trip, I started the freezer search, the pantry shuffle and — voila! — I had enough to make chicken enchiladas — my way. 

I love the idea of simmering a protein with the sauce and spices to marry all the flavors. That’s what I did here: Let the chicken chill with the enchilada sauce and green chillies for a decent amount of time. It’s a game-changer in this case. 

Here you go! Enjoy this flavorful, savory take on enchiladas featuring butter-seared chicken and a slow-simmered green chili sauce.

Ingredients

The chicken and sauce:

• 2-3 large chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp salted butter and 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 1 can diced green chilies
• Lemon pepper, salt, and black pepper (to taste)

The assembly:

• Flour or corn tortillas
• Extra sharp cheddar, shredded
• Queso cheese-drizzle (for after baking)
• Shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, sour cream and guacamole
• Cilantro for topping

Instruction

Sear the chicken: In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts generously with lemon pepper, salt and pepper. Place them in the pan and cook until they are nice and crisp and browned on both sides. Lower the heat and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan, pull it apart into bite-sized pieces (shredded or chopped), and return it to the same skillet to soak up the pan drippings.

Simmer the filling: Add the enchilada sauce, diced green chilies and smashed garlic to the skillet. Stir to combine with the chicken. Let the mixture simmer over low heat for 25-30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chicken to become tender.

Assemble and bake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the chicken mixture into tortillas, roll them tightly, and place them in a baking dish. Spoon any remaining sauce from the pan over the top and sprinkle with a generous amount of extra sharp cheddar cheese.

The final touch: Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are warmed through. Top with fresh lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream and guacamole before serving. Serve immediately. Top with cilantro, if preferred. 

Tip: If you want a little extra "crunch," you can lightly toast the tortillas in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side before rolling them!

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.