We had this for dinner last night. You should have it for dinner tonight!

My 12 year old watched me prepare this meal and asked, “Mom, are enchiladas hard to make?” In fact, they are not difficult, but they have quite a few steps and dirty a lot of dishes/pans. Plan on needing about an hour from start to dinner plate.

Kids in the kitchen: My 10 year old shredded cheese. My 12 year old opened the cans of enchilada sauce and green chiles, plus she set the table and moved all the lunch/snack dishes from the counter to the dishwasher. Next time I’ll probably also have her chop the chicken and assemble a few of the enchiladas, but with time a-wastin’, that’s requires a more leisurely day, like a weekend meal.

Husband in the kitchen: My wonderful husband washed up the bowls and pans as I moved on to the next steps, which helped keep the overall mess at a minimum. <smooch>

Family review: It was a hit! The sauce was a little bit spicy - perhaps a bit spicier than the kids preferred. We had this with steamed corn and tortilla chips and sliced strawberries on the side. The kids used the chips to “dip” into the enchiladas and that helped them deal with the heat. These were super yummy. I loved the chicken rub and the hint of cilantro. My husband was so happy. He loves Mexican and spicy foods and he was SO happy to have something that wasn’t vegetarian or pasta or beans for a change and that actually had MEAT in it. He said “dinner was so good tonight!” at least five times throughout the evening, including right at bedtime. Would I make this again? You bet!

Here’s the recipe:

Grilled Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Southwest seasoning (mix some cumin and chili powder if you don’t have a premix on hand)
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 - 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1-1/4 cups canned red enchilada sauce
• 1-1/4 cups canned green chile enchilada sauce
• 1-3/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons canned green chiles, drained and chopped
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Directions

1. Preheat grill to high heat. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Mix the seasoning, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl and rub on both sides of chicken breasts. Grill the breasts on medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from grill and let cool for 10 minutes.

3. Combine the enchilada sauces in a saucepan and heat to a simmer.

4. In a medium bowl, combine 1-1/4 of the cheese, the cilantro and the chiles. Set aside.

5. Coarsely chop the chicken breast. Divide into eight small piles.

6. Spoon 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly over the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish.

7. Wrap the tortillas in a damp towel and microwave until warm and pliable - about 1 minute on high.

8. Assemble the enchiladas by placing 1/8 of the cheese mixture in a strip down the middle of the tortilla. Top with 1/8 of chopped chicken. Fold edges of the tortilla so they overlap in the middle and place them side-by-side, seam side down in the baking dish.

9. Ladle the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the tops evenly with the reserved cheese.

10. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until all the cheese is melted, inside and out.

Serves 4.