Dutch Oven Chicken Enchiladas
I've never been very good at rolling enchiladas. I don't know what happens -- they just fall apart. Since my enchiladas resemble a casserole more than tortilla wraps from south of the border, I figure: Why not build a casserole in the first place?
You'd think that with 30 years experience in Navy galleys and institutional kitchens, I'd be able to roll thousands of enchiladas in an afternoon. But unlike Mexican restaurants, institutional kitchens often purchase pre-rolled enchiladas. Cook a red chili sauce, chop a handful of yellow onions and grate a brick of sharp cheddar cheese and you have the makings of a pan of enchiladas.
You have two choices when camping: roll enchiladas or prepare a casserole. You could heat a pan of oil, dip corn tortillas and fill them with beef or chicken. But why bother? One of our goals Camp and Outdoor Cooking is to keep things simple. Unless you're worried about plate presentation, Dutch oven enchilada casserole is a straightforward approach to preparing this Mexican favorite.
Dutch Oven Enchiladas
This chicken enchilada recipe uses a mild cream-based green chili sauce that's a refreshing change from the heavier red chili sauce. For a creamer texture, substitute half-and-half for the milk in the recipe. Imitation crab can also be used in place of chicken for seafood enchiladas.
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
2 4-oz. cans diced green peppers
1-1/4 pounds diced pre-cooked chicken
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
5 corn tortillas
Cilantro leaves and sour cream for garnish
Use a 12-inch Dutch oven for this recipe. Ignite 25 to 30 charcoal briquettes and let them burn until they are barely covered with ash, about 20 minutes. For a 350-degree oven, you'll need 8 briquettes underneath and 17 on top of the oven. You may need several extra briquettes underneath the oven while preparing the sauce.
Arrange 14 briquettes underneath oven in a circle. Melt butter in the oven. Add onions and sweat. Add the garlic and sweat until you smell them. Stir in flour and spices; cook roux about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not brown roux. Add stock and milk; cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Add chicken and half of the cheese to the sauce; simmer until cheese melts. Remove half of the meat and sauce mixture into a bowl. Tear or cut tortillas into wedges. Arrange half of the tortilla wedges over the meat mixture in the oven. Spoon the remaining meat mixture over the tortillas. Arrange remaining tortilla wedges over meat mixture.
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