Somehow the busiest month of the year (in real life) also turned out to be the busiest blog month so far. Craziness. Good stuff though: TWO birthday parties for my daughter’s first birthday, football games, festivals, guest posts, Emeril blogging party, trips out of town, working, and more! Whew! Thank goodness busy is good for the most part. (Except the school events that take my hubby away far too often. Blech. That’s the bad part of September.)

The Secret Recipe Club sneaks up on me every month, and sure enough, it is that time again! If you haven’t heard of the Secret Recipe Club, make sure to check it out and join us next month. It is a great way to get exposure to great new food blogs. So far I’ve made Asian Grilled Chicken, Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grape Sauce, and Zucchini Pancakes. I love trying new things, so I love being a member of the Secret Recipe Club.

This month I was assigned to Kristine’s Kitchen. If you haven’t been to Kristine’s blog (or even if you have), head on over there and take a look. It is full of great recipes and beautiful photos. Kristine is a young mom, so we also have that in common. We both like meals that come together quickly and easily. This month I chose to make her Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Verde. I’ve had some store-bought salsa verde in the cupboard for awhile now and had been meaning to use it but hadn’t gotten around to it. So when I found this recipe, I knew I had found a winner!

My pictures don’t really do this dish justice. Apparently it is monsoon season in Michigan and doesn’t want to stop raining. So the natural light….well…is non-existent.

I made a few changes to Kristine’s recipe. I used flour tortillas because it is what I had, she used corn. I think either choice would make for delicious enchiladas! I also sautéed the onions and threw them in with the filling. She sprinkled her onions on top in the last five minutes of baking. We’re not huge on raw onions, so I wanted to make sure they were fully cooked and integrated, or hubs would stay far away from this. This dish came out just how I wanted it to. It was easy and delicious. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas Verde
Adapted from Kristine’s Kitchen, originally from Perfect One-Dish Dinners by Pam Anderson

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I poached mine, rotisserie would work great too!)
2 cups (16 oz.) store-bought salsa verde, divided
16 oz. grated Monterey Jack cheese, divided (I didn’t use quite this much)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
salt and pepper to taste
8-10 flour tortillas
1/4 medium yellow onion, chopped
Sour cream for topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. In small frying pan, sauté onions with small amount of olive oil until softened.
3. In large bowl, mix shredded chicken with 2/3 cup of salsa verde, 1.5 cups cheese, scant 1/4 cup cilantro, sautéed onions, and salt and pepper to taste. I actually forgot to add in the cilantro…no biggie, just sprinkled more on top!
4. Lightly spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Spoon in one cup of salsa verde and spread out evenly on bottom of 9×13 pan.
5. (I used Tortilla Land tortillas, so while I was doing all of above steps I was also cooking my tortillas.) If you’re using already cooked tortillas, wrap them in two paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds so that they are soft and easier to work with.
6. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture into a tortilla. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until or you are out of filling. Drizzle enchiladas with remaining (~1/3 cup) salsa verde and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7. Spray a large sheet of foil with cooking spray and use that to cover the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake for five more minutes.
8. Sprinkle with cilantro, let stand for a few minutes and serve, topped with sour cream if desired.

Verdict: Delicious. The salsa verde made it spicy, by not too spicy. (I’m a bit of a wimp in that department.) We’ll definitely be having these again.
Husband’s take: He liked these too! No complaints voiced!
Changes I would make: None. I was tempted to throw spinach into the filling. I have a problem with adding spinach to everything I make. Might do it next time for some extra veggies.
Difficulty: Easy easy!

Check out all the other great recipes from the Secret Recipe Club this month!