Blue Corn Enchiladas

Brent and I always schedule time for the Blue Mesa Grill when we are in Dallas. I look forward to the Adobe Pie, Goat Cheese Enchiladas and the Blue Margaritas. Brent always orders Blue Corn Enchiladas. Blue corn tortillas are way more fun than plain corn tortillas, so when I found them at Trader Joe's I challenged myself to recreating Blue Mesa's signature dish. I adapted Marcela Valladolid's Chicken Enchilada recipe by using blue corn tortillas, and roasting chicken breast with my taco seasoning blend. I also stacked the tortillas instead of rolling them, and serve the dish in mini cast iron skillets. Although the homemade salsa verde was delicious, and we enjoyed having a taste of Texas in California, I won't fool you into thinking these taste like the original recipe. The Blue Mesa does something magical to their food. Magic that I will experience in less than two week!

Ingredients:
9 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1/2 medium white onion
1 serrano chile
1 yellow chile (guero)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6-8 (6-inch) blue corn tortillas (available at Trader Joe's)
2 chicken breasts, roasted and sprinkled with taco seasoning
1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the tomatillos, onion, serrano, yellow chile and 3/4 cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and boil until the tomatillos turn olive-green color, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos, onion and chiles to a blender. Add the garlic and cilantro and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

                              
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas until golden but still pliable, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Put the tortillas on a work surface. Divide the shredded chicken evenly among the tortillas and roll up each like a cigar. Spread 1/3 cup sauce in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the enchiladas, seam-side down, in one layer snugly inside the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. You might also consider stacking your enchiladas and making personal dishes in mini cast iron dishes. In this case stack 3-4 tortillas per portion, and add chicken to each layer. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese.

Sprinkle the cheese all over. Bake until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.