Chicken Enchiladas

When I got married, for one of my bridal showers, my mom wrote down about 10 of her favorite recipes on recipe cards for me.  This is one that she wrote down and gave me. It is something that she made often and that I always loved.  She originally got the recipe from my sister Laurie.  These enchiladas are a favorite of my kiddos.  My oldest daughter usually always requests these for her birthday dinner. I will list the original recipe first, then I will include some pictures and tips at the end of things that I do differently.

Chicken Enchiladas

12 flour tortillas
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/2 can green chilies
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1lb shredded cheddar cheese

Mix soup, sour cream, onions and chillies in large pot, and warm over medium heat until hot, stir in chicken. Spray bottoms of a 9x13 pan and an 8x8 pan. One at a time, put about 2 Tbsp sauce and some cheese in each tortilla, rolling up and placing in the pan.  After all tortillas are rolled and in pans, pour remaining sauce over the top of them.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

MaryAnn's tips:

I cut my chicken into bite sized pieces and saute it in a little bit of olive oil.

I usually use 2 cans cream of mushroom and one can cream of chicken.

I use a whole (small) can of green chillies, but I rinse them under water to get rid of some of the heat (I am a wimp when it comes to spicy).

I layer mine like lasagna.  So instead of filling and rolling the tortillas, I cut the tortillas in half so I have a straight edge to put against the sides of the pan.  I use 8or 9 halves for each layer in a 9x13 pan.  Does that make sense?  I took a couple pictures in case you are having a hard time visualizing it.

You may need more than 12 tortillas, depending on their size.  I usually always use more.
I use a lot less cheese than the recipe calls for because of the layering.  I only use 1-2 cups. Here is a picture that will show you about how much cheese I use.

Here is how I do the layers:

1. Sauce on the bottom
2. Tortillas
3. Sauce
4. Cheese
5. Tortillas
6. Sauce
7. Cheese
8. Tortillas
9. Sauce on the top