klang's chicken enchiladas. you're welcome, part III.

John has this giant Better Homes & Gardens cookbook that his mom gave him. We use it all the time, even though our home is messy and our garden consists of way too many damn tomato plants and Garrison turds.

This is supposedly an enchilada, but it seems more like a burrito to me. All those post-bar La Bambas burritos are what I'm basing this comment on. I did research, you see. Anyway, Mexican food is delicious, so I've taken some photos to document my special feelings for it.

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey (don't use turkey, ass clown)
12 7-inch flour tortillas or 6-inch corn tortillas
1 10.75-ounce can reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 8-ounce carton light dairy sour cream
1 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

1. In a medium skillet cook the 1/4 cup almonds and the onion in hot butter over medium heat until onion is tender and nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the canned green chile peppers; reserve remaining peppers for sauce.

The slivered almonds are what make these 'burritos' unlike any other I've had. And, I have quite a few burrito notches on my bed post, believe me. It adds some surprise texture to a commonly soft meal. Klang likey.

Preparing the chicken. You have two options. Brown some breasts in a buttered skillet until they are dried out and stringy like everyone does OR poach them (see picture) in boiling water for about 8 minutes. I learned how to poach chicken in this cookbook, and find they keep their moisture quite well and don't get all strung out and useless like Tara Reid in the Bahamas.

Here is what also makes the chicken better than everyone else's. A food processor. It shreds the chicken into moist (ew, sorry) and fluffy pieces of goodness rather than square hunks of dry chicken chunks like Qdoba. This small step will make me respect you more on a personal level, so I think you should do it.

2. In a medium bowl (or an amazing Kitchen Aid mixer) stir together cream cheese, the 1 tablespoon milk, and the cumin; add nut mixture and chicken. Stir until combined. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla near an edge; roll up. Place filled tortillas, seam side down, in a greased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Set aside.

3. For sauce, in a medium bowl combine the reserved chile peppers, the soup, sour cream, and the 1 cup milk. Pour evenly over the tortillas in the baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven about 35 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil. Sprinkle enchiladas with cheese and the 2 tablespoons almonds. Return to oven; bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese melts. Makes 6 servings.

Be prepared for people to spray their shorts when they eat this. It's that good.