Gringo Enchiladas
The ingredients minus the cheese.
Last night I found myself craving my sister’s Enchiladas Suizas. The kind of craving that shows up fully formed and refuses to be ignored.
She picked up her version of the recipe during her gap year, when she lived with American missionaries in Madrid. Her host mom was one of those cooks who just got it, shaped by years living in Guatemala, the U.S., and Spain. The enchiladas were rich and comforting, built around cream cheese, evaporated milk, and pimentos. When I was a teenager, this was the meal she’d make when she came home from college. Later on, she started using meat from a Costco rotisserie chicken, which made the dish noticeably saltier and heavier than I remembered.
Fast forward a decade or two, and things look a little different in my kitchen.
Hand mixing all of the ingredients.
My palate has changed. I’ve developed an allergy to peppers, so the pimentos had to go. Evaporated milk no longer makes it into my pantry. And perhaps most importantly, I now raise the best pasture-raised chickens I’ve ever tasted. With all of that in mind, and using what I already had on hand, I made a few adjustments and gave this dish a new name:
Gringo Enchiladas
Why the Chicken Matters
This version starts the way most good meals on the farm do, with leftovers and intention. I used pulled chicken from a whole bird I cooked in the Instant Pot the night before. I pulled the meat off by hand while it was still warm and saved the bones for stock.
Because the chicken itself had real flavor, it didn’t need to be masked with salt. That’s the problem with heavily processed rotisserie chickens: they do the seasoning for you, whether you want it or not. Starting with a well-raised bird means you get to decide where the flavor comes from.
Filling added to the Tortilla
Making the Filling
To the bowl went cream cheese, a can of diced jalapeños, a half cup of my favorite salsa, shredded Tillamook Black Label Aged white cheddar, fresh chopped cilantro, diced onion, and a couple of cloves of garlic. I mixed everything by hand until fully combined. This is not a delicate dish. Trust your hands and don’t overthink it.
Assembly
I grabbed a 9×13-inch pan and used about a tablespoon of vegetable oil, spread with a paper towel, to coat the bottom. I filled eleven six-inch corn tortillas with roughly half a cup of filling each.
Be proudly gringo about it and buy the fresh tortillas from your local Mexican market. They are softer, more forgiving, and they make all the difference.
Laying the rolled tortillas in the pan.
Roll the tortillas snugly and line them up in the pan. Once everything is in place, sprinkle a little Pollo Adobo seasoning over the top and pour a can of green enchilada sauce over the dish. That tomatillo tang is what ties everything together.
I usually go mild and add heat later, but if you like it spicy, go for the hot version. Las Palmas or Victoria are both solid choices, and if you’re standing in the aisle at the Mexican market, just ask what they use at home.
Finish with a layer of shredded cheddar or a Mexican blend, then cover with foil and slide the pan into a 375°F oven.
When It’s Ready
After about 35 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for five minutes. The cheese will be bubbling edge to edge, the internal temperature will hit 175°F, and the whole kitchen will smell like comfort.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, and your favorite salsa. This is the kind of meal meant to be shared, preferably with people who don’t mind a little mess and a lot of seconds.
Gringo Enchiladas Recipe
Equipment
Sauce and cheese added.
Oven preheated to 375°F
9×13-inch baking pan
Mixing bowl
Paper towel
Ingredients
12 six-inch corn tortillas
3–4 cups shredded chicken
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
½ cup favorite salsa
1 (4 oz) can diced jalapeños
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
½ cup shredded Tillamook Black Label Aged white cheddar
½–1 cup Mexican blend cheese
1 (28 oz) can green enchilada sauce
1–3 tablespoons Pollo Adobo or taco seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Finished enchiladas, served with a portion of sour cream and cilantro.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, salsa, jalapeños, onion, garlic, cilantro, white cheddar, and seasoning. Mix by hand until fully combined.
Lightly oil a 9×13-inch pan using a paper towel.
Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of filling, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the pan.
Sprinkle lightly with additional seasoning, then pour enchilada sauce evenly over the tortillas.
Top with shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese.
Cover and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover for the remaining 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175°F and the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
Serve warm with sour cream, cilantro, and salsa.