Chicken Enchiladas: *Freezer Meal*

The gang has been asking for enchiladas, I have been putting this meal on the back burner, because I really haven’t felt like cooking lately. Yeah, I know, gasp! Do you ever feel that way or am I the only one? It all started after Christmas. I have just felt whooped. I haven’t been sleeping lately, what’s this about?! Jeff, told me the other day I had huge black circles under my eyes. What!? Did you have to tell me this when we are in the middle of the supermarket?! I even had concealer on! Not that I’m vain, just didn’t know that I had big black circles under those peepers. You know when you are shopping and you find that little rinky dink mirror in the store they put next to the sunglasses to see what you look like?  Only, the mirror is so tiny you have no idea, what you look like! Well that was me the other day. I could only see one eyeball in that doggum mirror. Uhhg! For the one eye I did see, he was right, darnit. I looked whooped. Time to get some sleep. But not just quite yet, gotta share this recipe. Okay, time to sleep. Goodnight. yields 30 enchiladas

This is a great freezer meal! When I am feeling like super woman, I freeze 5 enchiladas to 6 small disposable tins, making 6 pre-made dinners. When the hubs and I go on a date, the kiddos have dinner. I will also pull these out for a quick meal when I don’t feel like cooking. I dislike when you have a freezer meal that doesn’t taste as good as before it’s frozen, don’t you? These are not that way. The chicken is still moist and they tasted like they had just been freshly prepared.

Ingredients
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 garlic cloves
1/2 large sweet onion, quartered
2 cans 28 oz. each enchilada sauce {we use El Pato Brand, Mild}
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cube chicken bouillon dissolved in 1/3 cup hot water
fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 can 10 oz. Rotel tomatoes, drained
cilantro, fresh, chopped, desired amount {to top enchiladas before baking}
sweet onion, chopped, desired amount {to top enchiladas before baking}
green onions, fresh, chopped, desired amount {to top enchiladas after baking}
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded {combine mozzarella and cheddar in a bowl}
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded {combine mozzarella and cheddar in a bowl}
non-stick cooking spray
30 ct. corn tortillas

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, combine onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, sugar, garlic powder, and fresh cracked pepper. Process until consistency is “Paste Like” scrapping down the sides if needed.
3. Place chicken breast in a 3 t. baking dish and spread onion paste mixture over chicken; meanwhile dissolve bouillon cube in 1/3 cup hot water, pour over chicken. Cover and bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from oven, shred chicken in it’s juices {DO NOT DRAIN JUICES}the chicken will soak up the juice and the juices will help make the chicken moist. Stir in drained Rotel tomatoes. Let shredded chicken cool. Cover until ready to use.
4. Heat tortilla and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a medium sized pan, heat enchilada sauce over medium heat; just until hot. Keep on low, stirring occasionally. By heating the tortilla and the sauce this will help make the tortillas soft and pliable, other wise your tortillas will break when folding.
5. Spray desired baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside
6. Dip warm tortillas in hot enchilada sauce, fill tortilla with about 2 tablespoon shredded chicken and about 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold and put in desired baking dishes. Top enchiladas with a small amount of shredded chicken, spoon sauce over the top of each enchiladas, next top sauce with cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, and chopped sweet onion. Cover with a sheet of foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, bake for 45 minutes.

Printable Version

Notes:  To make freezer meals you will need disposable tin baking dishes with lids and foil, or your handy dandy Pyrex dishes with lids. Assemble as directed. DO NOT BAKE, let cool. Freeze. If using disposable tins, once cooled, cover with foil, then cover with lid. Stick in freezer. If using Pyrex baking dishes, assemble as directed. let cool. Place Pyrex lid on top and freeze. To reheat frozen enchiladas, if using disposable tins, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. remove plastic lid, leave foil on and place on a baking sheet; cook until heated through. If using glass Pyrex, let dish come to room temp. Remove lid. Cover with a sheet of foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F. Until heated through.

Additional notes: I prepared ours in {two} 3qt. Pyrex dishes plus one small disposable tin that held five enchiladas.

Shared At: athriftymom forkfulofcomfort