Ingredients

For the filling:
  • For the filling:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup Sofrito
  • 1/4 cup pureed chipotles in adobo
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon
  • 5 cups shredded cooked chicken, preferably thigh meat
  • Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For the sauce:
  • For the sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons grated Spanish onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 8-ounce cans Spanish-style tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade, left over from cooking the chicken for this recipe, or store-bought
For the enchiladas:
  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • 16 corn tortillas

Yield

Serves: Makes 8 buffet servings

Preparation

Make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Sofrito

and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the sofrito is sizzling. Stir in the chipotle puree, cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until your kitchen smells great. (It wont take more than a minute!) Stir in the chicken until it is coated with the seasoning. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the

onion, garlic, chile powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for a minute or so, until fragrant.

Pour in the tomato sauce, followed by the chicken broth, and bring to a boil, then adjust the

heat so the sauce is simmering. Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Spray a 13 x 11 x 2-inch baking dish (or any other 2-inch-deep baking dish that holds 16

cups) with cooking spray. Cover the bottom with a thin layer of sauce. Set aside.

Spray a large pan or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add only as

many tortillas as will fit without overlapping (possibly only 1 in a skillet, or up to 4 on a large

griddle). Heat, turning once, until softened, about a minute per side. As each tortilla softens,

remove it from the pan and add another in its place. Fill each warmed tortilla with 2 heaping

tablespoons of the chicken filling spooned across the center, roll up the tortilla, and place it

seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are softened and

filled.

Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the

cheese over the enchiladas and cover with aluminum foil. The enchiladas can be prepared up to this point several hours in advance and refrigerated.

Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 30 minutes. (Allow 35 to 40 minutes for refrigerated enchiladas.) Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining sauce in a saucepan over low heat, and pour it into a gravy

boat or pitcher for guests to help themselves at the buffet.