Chicken and Red Pepper Enchiladas Crema

I recently joined a few old grad school buddies for lunch at a local Mexican restaurant.  I realized, like a hundred times before, that I don't eat Mexican nearly enough.  I had delicious chicken enchiladas in a creamy sauce that I reverse engineered here.
2 large chicken breasts
6-8 4-inch tortillas (see Cook’s Note)

1 large onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced into small pieces
1 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp cumin)
1 tsp fennel seeds (or not)

Crema Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup flour
2-1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
generous freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped
1/3 lb Monterrey Pepper Jack cheese, sliced
1 cup slasa verde

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat a glug of olive oil in a large skillet. Tip in the onion and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the red pepper along with the cumin and fennel seeds, and cook another 10 minutes. By this time the onion and pepper should be browning up nicely, sweet and caramelized. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

While the onions and peppers are cooking, cook the chicken. Set a medium pot with about 2-3 cups water to the boil. Salt generously and lay the chicken breasts in the water when boiling. Poach the chicken for about 10 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool enough to handle. When cool enough, shred the chicken.

Now make a white crema sauce. Melt the butter in the oil in a small saucepan. When the butter slows its bubbling - most of the water is evaporated, add the flour. Whisk continuously for about 3-5 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a gentle boil, whisking often. Add the garlic and chili powders and season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer when thickened up nicely.

After the onions are well browned, add the chicken to the onions. Add half the sauce and the jalapeños and mix well.

Spoon about 3/4 cup of chicken mixture onto the middle of each tortilla and fold in thirds. Place tortillas in an oiled casserole and top with any remaining chicken (you may need 2 medium casseroles or one large and one small to fit 8 enchiladas.

Top enchiladas with the cheese and then the remaining white sauce.

Spoon a few tablespoons of salsa verde on top along with some fresh oregano if desired. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, until brown and bubbly.


Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges and sour cream.

Serves 4-6.

Cook’s Note: I used half corn, half flour tortilla for these enchiladas from Trader Joe’s. I like them because they are lighter than just corn tortillas, but more flavorful and robust than just flour tortillas. They are a great mix of the two.