Street Corn Chicken Enchiladas
Roasted corn, lime, and a little hot sauce give these chicken enchiladas a different spin. Start with cooked chicken, warm the tortillas so they roll without splitting, and finish the pan with red onion and cilantro.
Make-ahead recipe: HKT Instant Pot Chicken and Broth — https://www.homegrownkitchentable.com/all-recipes/instant-pot-chicken-and-broth
Ingredients
2 cups fully cooked shredded chicken; HKT Instant Pot Chicken and Broth is an option
8 medium tortillas, about 8 inches across, corn or flour; use a soft variety suitable for rolling
1½ cups prepared roasted corn kernels, thawed and well drained if frozen
¾ cup shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided: ¼ cup for the filling and ½ cup for the top
12 ounces green enchilada sauce, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for the filling
¼ cup canned diced green chiles, drained, or 1 finely diced jalapeño with seeds removed for less heat
¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese, divided: 2 tablespoons for the filling and 2 tablespoons for finishing
½ cup avocado-oil mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
1–2 teaspoons cold water, only if needed to thin the reserved finishing crema
1½ teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Up to ½ teaspoon fine salt, to taste
A pinch of black pepper
¼ cup finely diced red onion, for finishing
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for finishing
Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread ½ cup of the measured green enchilada sauce over the bottom; set the remaining sauce aside.
Whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, and lime juice into a smooth crema. Before mixing in chicken or other filling ingredients, transfer 2 tablespoons to a separate clean bowl, cover, and refrigerate for finishing. Whisk the hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper into the remaining crema. In another bowl, combine the cooked chicken, drained roasted corn, green chiles or jalapeño, 3 tablespoons cilantro, 2 tablespoons cotija, and ¼ cup pepper Jack. Fold in all the seasoned crema. Taste the fully cooked filling and add up to ½ teaspoon salt only as needed.
Warm the tortillas in small stacks under a lightly damp towel in the microwave, following the package directions, or briefly in a dry skillet. Keep them covered and work while they are pliable. Divide all the filling evenly among the 8 tortillas, roll gently, and arrange seam-side down in the dish.
Spoon the remaining green enchilada sauce evenly over the rolls. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup pepper Jack. Bake uncovered for about 25–30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles, the cheese has golden spots, and the center of the filling reaches 165°F. Loosely cover with foil if the edges darken before the middle is hot.
Rest for 5 minutes, then scatter over the remaining 2 tablespoons cotija, diced red onion, and the final 2 tablespoons cilantro. Stir the refrigerated, reserved crema; thin with 1–2 teaspoons cold water only if needed for drizzling. Drizzle all of it over the finished pan. Serve 2 enchiladas per person.
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F. Use within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F. If the filling used leftover chicken, count storage time from when that chicken was first cooked.