You see, I just gotta have a tostada, carne asada, that's right I want the whole enchilada

~Old School Weird Al (so awesome)

Good cooking runs deep in my family, and well before my brother started rivaling Emeril every night, i enjoyed playing hostess in college while trying new recipes or making my own. i love cooking for other people, but, like most people, not so much for myself so these last two years have seen less inventive cooking...until this weekend!

i hosted youth group leadership meeting at my place and instead of getting takeout for 14 people, i decided to do a little mexican fiesta (replacing churros with snickerdoodles, which were an INSANE hit)! so, i thought i'd share the recipe that i adapted from a few others i found on allrecipes...it was very tasty!

Chicken Enchiladas
(serves 10-15 people, depending on side dishes and appetites!)

saute 3 medium onions, one green and one red bell pepper, several cloves of garlic, parsely, oregano, and black pepper (i did it in a wok to hold the huge volume) until veggies are cooked and slightly blackened. add 6 cooked (boiling works well) and shredded chicken breasts to the veggies. in a seperate bowl, mix several cups of salsa (i prefer chunky) with a large can (28 oz)of enchilada sauce...go as hot as you dare. to the meat/veggies, add 4-6 cups of sauce mix and stir until everything is mixed well. keep on medium heat and slowly stir in shredded cheese (the mexican 4 cheese blend is phenomenal) until the mixture is thick and cheese is melted. i found i needed to add some water because there was so much chicken, and i probably used 4-5 cups of cheese, which admittedly was a bit much (although it tasted wonderful)...so, add as much cheese as you want. this sauce can be made the night before and refrigerated.

preheat oven to 375 and spray the bottom of a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. add 2-3 large spoonfuls of the meat/sauce/veggie mix into a 10 inch flour or corn tortilla (i prefer flour, and they're easier to roll up) and place seam down in dish. i fit 9 enchiladas in one 9X13 casserole dish, and made 24 total with this much chicken mixture. when all enchiladas are rolled and ready, top with the leftover sauce mixture and the rest of the cheese. cook about 30 or so minutes uncovered. cheese will brown and the enchiladas will be perfectly crispy on top after cooling. serve with pico, sour cream, lettuce, chips, whatever you want. they turned out awesome for me and were a huge hit, although a bit too wimpy (yet still very flavorful) for me since there is not HOT enchilada sauce in oregon...

Enjoy!