Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

I like to use a store-purchased Rotisserie chicken or roast my own at home and shred it for inclusion in these dreamy White Chicken Enchiladas. Pepperjack is my go-to cheese for Minnesota Tex-Mex, but Monterey Jack, white cheddar, Oaxaca, and Chihuahua cheeses are great here too. And I insist on using corn tortillas because they are up to the job of preserving their texture - at least somewhat - when baked and smothered in a creamy sauce.

But don't worry, you can use flour tortillas if you'd prefer.

Since this recipe is easy to make, it's also easy to customize and/or garnish. I sprinkled on some parsley for the photo op, but my favorite way to garnish is with some pickled jalapenos. The spicy, acidic hit from pickled jalapenos helps cut through the richness of the Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A comfort food dream. Every bite of these enchiladas is cozy, comforting, and delicious. A delightfully creamy, savory sauce just envelops each tender chicken enchilada like a warm embrace. It's a must-try for fall and winter dinner menus.
• Cozy but light. Using chicken makes this recipe feel light, since the sour cream enchilada sauce is incredibly rich and creamy. I think it offers a great balance that can be easily adjusted with garnishes like fresh cilantro or acidic lime.
• Leftovers that don't suck. Leftovers can be either hit or miss. But I always look forward to the leftovers from this recipe because they reheat so nicely in the oven.

Ingredients

For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Chicken - I like to push the easy button and use shredded store-purchased rotisserie or home-roasted chicken, seasoned simply - like with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Feel free to use light or dark meat (breast or thigh meat) in this recipe. I usually end up using a mixture of the two, but use the cut of chicken you like best. These enchiladas would also be fantastic with grilled chicken to add some smokiness. You can also use rotisserie chicken to shortcut this delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup.
• Corn tortillas (5 ¾ in diameter) - Yes, I took out my tape measure and measured the diameter. I find corn tortillas to be sturdier than flour when sauced and baked. You can certainly use flour tortillas if you prefer, just try to get ones similar in size to the corn tortillas called for here. I have not tried using a gluten-free or low-carb tortilla in this recipe, but I don't see why they wouldn't work here instead of corn.
• Pepperjack cheese - Shredded. Or Monterey jack cheese, or white cheddar, or Oaxaca, or any good melting cheese that's lighter in color (to blend in with the sour cream sauce).
• Sour cream enchilada sauce - See ingredients listed separately below.

Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce Ingredients

Like many of my recipes, this dish all began with the sauce...

• Salted butter - For making a roux to thicken the enchilada sauce. I like salted butter, so I can add less salt later on, but unsalted butter is just fine here.
• White all-purpose flour - For making a roux to thicken the enchilada sauce.
• Chicken broth - I always reach for chicken broth, but you can also use vegetable broth. Avoid darker beef broths, as it can result in a darker colored sour cream sauce.
• Seasonings - Both garlic and onion powders bring the perfect umami to this recipe. Plus they are light in color so they disappear into the cream-colored sauce.
• Sour cream - The star of the sauce, delivering tangy, creamy results. And you should absolutely not be ashamed to use a full-fat sour cream as it results in a thick, luxurious sauce. But low-fat works here too if you want to keep the calories lower.
• Cream cheese - This is optional, but HIGHLY recommended. It pushes the creamy envelope in this delicious sauce.

Makes approximately 2 ½ cups enchilada sauce. Get the full recipe.

Variations & Additions

This is a basic recipe specifically so you can take creative liberties with the add-ins. I highly recommend trying these white chicken enchiladas with: 

• Spicy peppers - Jalapenos, poblanos, Thai chiles, whatever spicy pepper you wish, just saute them before adding to your chicken filling. Or garnish with pickled jalapenos - a personal favorite of mine whose acid and heat help cut the creaminess of the enchiladas.
• Green chile - Whether you have some freshly roasted Hatch green chiles or want to reach for the jarred kind of green chilies, adding a few ounces here can really add some fiery flavor!
• Tomatoes - A freshly diced Roma tomato is a great addition here (though you should strain off excess moisture before adding). Or you could include canned diced tomatoes, like Rotel. If using canned tomatoes, strain well before adding to the chicken.
• Seasonings - Season your chicken however you'd like. When roasting at home I usually just season with salt and pepper, maybe some basil or oregano. You can also try adding a few dashes of cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, or garlic and onion powder. Or you could really punch up the flavor of your chicken with a homemade fajita seasoning or an everything but the elote seasoning.
• Chicken - Try this recipe with shredded beef or pork, or go vegetarian with sliced mushrooms or pinto or black beans.
• Beans - Black or pinto beans would also make a great filling addition. Try halving the amount of chicken called for in this recipe and replacing it with beans for a fun, protein-packed variation.
• Corn - Sweet pops of corn would be so good included in the mix against the creamy white sauce. I'd reach for either frozen or canned for convenience.
• Yogurt - That's right, if you'd rather use yogurt instead of sour cream, it makes a great swap since yogurt is similarly tangy. I'd recommend reaching for a plain unsweetened Greek yogurt.

How to Make Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas - Directions

Before beginning, review the ingredients you'll need to make the creamy enchilada sauce - it requires just a few ingredients.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Shred chicken, if you haven't already. 
3. To reheat refrigerated leftover Rotisserie chicken, add shredded chicken and 1 tablespoon of water to a pan. Cover and heat over medium heat until heated through. Remove from heat, put a lid on it, and set aside.
4. Prepare sour cream enchilada sauce. Click here for instructions on how to make the sour cream enchilada sauce (makes 2 ½ cups, which is about what you'll need).
5. Heat your tortillas in a pan before dipping them into the sour cream sauce. Heat tortillas over medium-high heat, for 5-7 seconds per side each. You want them to be completely pliable. 

6. Coat the bottom of an 11x7 baking dish with the enchilada sauce, using around ½ cup or so of the sauce. Dip a warmed tortilla into the sour cream enchilada sauce, coating one side completely.

7. Lay down on a cutting board, dipped tortilla side up. Divide cooked chicken evenly between 7-8 tortillas; add 1 ½ tablespoons pepperjack cheese to each tortilla.

8. Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in a 11x7 baking dish. Continue to do this until your pan is full.

9. Pour all of the remaining sour cream enchilada sauce over your rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining pepperjack cheese.

Tip: Prepare your garnishes while the creamy enchiladas cook.

Equipment

I used this baking dish for this recipe, a Pyrex 2 Quart Glass Oblong Baking Dish.