Enchiladas are a Mexican staple and are found everywhere Mexican or Tex-Mex foods are found. We have all seen and enjoyed them, but most of us don’t know the history of the enchilada. Enchiladas originated in what was known as the Valley of Mexico in Mayan times, and is now known as the Yucatan region of Mexico. They were a staple of the Mayans. The poorer people ate corn tortillas or flattened bread, wrapped around small fish. But the enchiladas, or papadzules as the Mayans called them, were originally served to the nobles on special occasions. They were corn tortillas, known as tlaxcalli to the Mayans, and were dipped in pumpkin seed and rolled around boiled eggs, smothered in tomato sauce. When the Spanish conquistadors came to Mexico, they transformed the enchiladas more to how we know them today. The word “enchilada” came from the Spanish word “enchilar”, meaning to add pepper to or to season or decorate with chile. The recipe for enchiladas was written in the first Mexican cookbook, El Cocinar Mexicano, published in 1831. Today, enchiladas are found everywhere, with many different versions and styles. You can roll them, as they were done traditionally, or you can layer them. They can be served with many different sauces and fillings. They are mostly a savory dish, however, you can make sweet enchiladas as well, using bananas or other fruits or other sweet concoctions that can also be used as fillings.
I make enchiladas both ways, but I tend to layer them more often than rolling them. I think the main reason I tend to layer them is because I like “lots of stuff in my stuff” as my husband would say, and I am able to get more filling in by layering them rather than by rolling them. You can also use the traditional corn tortillas, or flour tortillas. I prefer flour tortillas because I like the taste better. But there is no right or wrong way to make enchiladas. Use your imagination and be creative.
Today, I made chicken enchiladas with spinach, mushrooms, and roasted peppers.
Sauteing the spinach, mushrooms, garlic, onions and roasted hatch peppers.
After spraying your baking dish with cooking spray, add a little sauce to the bottom of the pan before adding your tortillas. I used two kinds of cheese. Today, I used shredded cheddar and shredded mozzarella. Sometimes I use jalapeno jack. It depends on what I have on hand at the time. You can use whatever type(s) of cheese you like.
Layering my enchiladas. 1) Sauce on the bottom of the pan; 2) tortillas; 3) cheese; 4) chicken; 5) spinach and mushroom filling; 6) repeat until pan is filled then top with cheese, cover with aluminum foil and bake.
The end result, topped with sour cream, avocados and salsa, served with arroz verde and a cool, refreshing margarita especial, dining al fresco.
Chicken Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms
cooked chicken, shredded
tortillas, either corn or flour
tomatilla sauce or salsa verde
3 cups fresh spinach, stems removed and chopped
5-6 medium mushrooms, sliced
1/3 medium onion, chopped fine
1-2 TBSP garlic
4-6 roasted hatch chilies, or to taste, chopped fine
1-2 tsp oregano
1-2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil for cooking
cheese
options for topping – tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, olives
Preheat oven to 350*F
Spray your baking pan with cooking spray
Saute all the vegetables together then set aside. Add a little sauce to you baking dish. If layering, start with your tortillas, then cheese, chicken, vegetables, and repeat until the pan is full, finishing with cheese on top. If you are rolling the tortillas, warm your tortillas in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds, then add your filling and tightly roll, placing the rolled tortillas side by side until the pan is filled and top with sauce and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes, covered. Remove the foil and top with your toppings and continue to bake uncovered until all the cheese is melted and the toppings are set, about 5-10 minutes. Defruitas con una margarita (o dos) frio y fresco.
Oh my GOD! This looks so tasty, I can’t take it! 😳 Thank you for the history of la enchilada, I had no idea. Which is the arroz verde?
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Thank you. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. The arroz verde is “green rice”. It is forest green onions, cilantro and jalapenos mixed in.
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Im not big on spicy foods. Maybe I can skip on the jalapeños. Do you mix in the green onions and cilantro in with the rice? When you’re cooking the rice or after the rice is cooked?
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Cook the rice first, then after it is cooked, are the cilantro and green onions. You can definitely skip the jalapenos if you don’t like them. Make it now you like it.
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It sounds delicious! I’m going to make it for my next ‘batch’ of rice. We are a rice home! We have rice on stand by, every.single.day. One of my boys needs his rice daily, with meat, with beans, with anything 😆 thanks for helping me out! Can’t wait to make it for the fam 😊
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Happy to help. Please let me know what you think when you make it.
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Yes, will definitely do that 😊
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Cool Beans!
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Haha! Love that, it’s been a while since I ‘heard’ that. 🙂
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I have been saying that for years. 🙂
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I must make some arroz verde.
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I made these!! Turned out great…. thanks for the inspiration. I would NOT have thought to put mushrooms and spinach in enchiladas and it was so good! I was in the mood for something southwestern after all of the English food I’ve had for a week ☺️
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Welcome home. So glad you liked it. 🙂
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Amazing and so tasty looking. that is it. I am getting up from the screen and going to see what I can whip up from my fridge. Salivating now 🙂
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SWEET!!!!! 🙂
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Looks soooo tasty!!! Love it :))
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Thank you. We love it.
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I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the page layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?
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Thank you for your feedback but I don’t know what page you saw, but I always have a bunch of pictures for each post I write. Some posts have more and some have less, but I never only use just one picture, unless that is all I have. Today’s post only had one picture, but it was a “guest chef” and she only send me one picture.
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I just want to say I’m very new to blogging and certainly liked your page. Very likely I’m want to bookmark your site . You certainly have very good article content. Regards for sharing your blog.
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Thank you. I am glad to hear you are enjoying it. You can always find me and follow me at ajeanneinthekitchen.com. Here are the links to today’s posts.
https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com/2020/07/05/our-4th-of-july-feast/
https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com/2020/07/05/nature-walks-out-before-it-gets-too-hot/
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