Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas

Though these from-scratch enchiladas take a little bit of work, they’re well worth the effort.  The sauce itself is good enough to eat from a spoon by itself, but when everything is combined, it’s simply divine.

Makes 5 servings or 10 filled enchiladas

Sauce

  • 2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon Tajin seasoning mix (Mexican chile-laced seasoning from Aldi)

Filling

  • 1 lb thin chicken breasts (about 2)
  • ½ teaspoon Tajin seasoning mix
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon onion powder, divided
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
  • Olive oil spray
  • 1 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed.
  • 1 4-ounce can mushroom pieces, drained
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • To assemble
  • 10 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or shredded Oaxacan cheese
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Sour cream or guacamole to serve

Instructions

  1. Puree diced tomatoes with chiles in a food processor fitted with a standard blade or a high-speed blender, about 30 seconds.
  2. Pour pureed tomato mixture, tomato paste, chicken stock, honey, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, paprika, salt, dried oregano, cinnamon and Tajin seasoning into a medium-sized pot. Heat over medium high heat, whisking constantly, and cook until all ingredients are blended and warmed through, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Set aside.
  3. Preheat grill to high.  Sprinkle Tajin seasoning, ¼ teaspoon onion powder and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder onto both sides of chicken breasts.  Spray grill with olive oil spray. Grill chicken breasts for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once cooked, let cool for 5 minutes, then dice into small pieces.
  4. Meanwhile, puree spinach in a food processor fitted with a standard blade or a high-speed blender, about 1 minute.
  5. In a large bowl, stir together spinach, mushroom pieces, chicken, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ quarter teaspoon black pepper
  6. To make, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour about half of the sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Place about 1/3 cup of filling a corn tortilla, roll, and lay in casserole dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with cheese, sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon cumin and 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano.  Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole.