La Cocina de Leslie Turns 2 {Enchiladas Suizas}


Today is a very special day here at La Cocina de Leslie.  It's my 2nd Blogiversary!  In honor of such a special occasion, I'm going to share one of my all-time favorite recipes...Enchiladas Suizas.

This is a recipe I have been wanting to share for quite some time now, but for one reason or another, I wasn't able to.  On a couple of occasions, my camera batteries were dead, so I couldn't take pics.  On other occasions, I was in too much of a rush to take pictures.  And then when I finally did take the pics, the notebook I had written my recipe measurements in disappeared.  But today, finally, everything came together and I am able to celebrate my 2nd Blogiversary with a spectacular recipe.  

Literally translated, Enchiladas Suizas means Swiss Enchiladas.  To my knowledge these aren't Swiss in origin, but are called Suizas because Mexican crema is added to the tomatillo salsa.  This is one recipe where I don't recommend substituting sour cream for the Mexican crema.  Doing so would result in a thicker sauce.  I recommend using heavy whipping cream or evaporated milk.

Here in Mexico, I use a combination of Manchego and Chihuaha cheese.  But when I lived in the United States I used both mild cheddar and swiss cheese.  Whichever cheese you decide to use, the results are absolutely deliciosos!  

Enchiladas Suizas


Ingredients:

  • 6 cups water 
  • 2 pounds chicken breast
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • Cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (I use Knorr Suiza)
  • 1 poblano chile
  • 24 tomatillos, husks removed
  • 2 serrano chilies
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup Mexican crema
  • 24 Corn Tortillas
  • 8 oz. Chihuahua cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz. Manchego cheese, shredded


Directions:
Place the chicken, onion, garlic, cilantro and 1 teaspoon of the chicken bouillon in a large saucepan.  Cover with 6 cups of water and season with salt and pepper.  Simmer over medium heat until chicken is tender.  Shred the chicken, once it cools.  (This step can be done the day before.)






To make the Enchilada sauce, place the tomatillos, serrano chilies, garlic and 3 cups of water.  Simmer over medium heat until tomatillos are fully cooked.  Let cool slightly.







While the tomatillos are cooking, roast the poblano pepper in a small skillet or comal over medium-high heat, until all of the skin has blistered.  The poblano pepper will look charred. 





Wrap the roasted poblano pepper in a plastic bag and let sit for about 5 minutes.  This allows the pepper to sweat, making it much easier to remove the skin. 






Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, remove the charred skin and carefully remove the seeds and stem.





In a blender, puree the tomatillos, serrano chilies, garlic and poblano pepper with 2 cups of the water the tomatillos were cooked in and the remaining teaspoon of chicken bouillon.




Pour the puree mixture into a medium saucepan.  Stir in the Mexican crema and season with salt, if necessary.




Pour 1/3 cup of the creamy sauce into a 9-inch square baking dish.



Heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Fry the corn tortillas one at a time, for about 20 to 30 seconds per side.  Add more oil, as needed.  You don't want to fry the tortillas until crisp, because then you won't be able to roll up your enchiladas.  (Don't skip this part, because the tortillas will break and your enchiladas won't hold their shape if you don't fry the tortillas.)  




Transfer the tortillas to a heatproof plate.  Top each tortilla with a couple tablespoons of shredded chicken and cheese.




Roll up the tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish.  Spoon another 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sauce over the Enchiladas and shredded cheese.



Repeat with another layer of Enchiladas, sauce and cheese.




Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and turns golden brown around the edges.  Serve with Refried Beans and Mexican RiceEnjoy!!!





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18 comments

  1. Happy Blogiversary!!! Those enchiladas look amazing, I need to make a trip to visit you one day, I am only about 4 hours from Laredo, how far are you from that?

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  2. Happy Anniversary and hopefully many more years of your great recipes to come.
    Enchiladas Suiza is one of our favorite dishes and I make them at home also. Here they serve them with a red based sauce and of course cream on top. Yummy.

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  3. Oh man!! Every time I come into your kitchen, all I want to do is eat, eat, eat! Happy Anniversary on your cooking blog, one of my favorites. Hope you are well and I'll take 3 of those enchiladas, make it four. I love the way you prepare them and your kitchen always looks so clean.:) Happy Easter.

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  4. Happy Anniversary!

    And...are you trying to kill me! I am starting my diet again! These look so freakin delicious!
    Que rico...will definitely book mark these!

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  5. I am definitely going to try this recipe.

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  6. OMG! My mouth is watering right now! This I will definately have to try as soon as my oven is fixed~

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  7. I have to be honest and admit that the only enchilada suizas I've ever had were made by Lean Cuisine and came frozen. Something tells me that they don't even compare to these!

    Happy blogging anniversary!

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  8. No te digo, mujer tu eres mi heroe. Jamas se me hubiese ocurrido mesclar la crema con la salsa. 

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  9. I can't to try these!  Homemade enchiladas are a frequent request in my home. Last winter when the kids came to stay over the school break with us, I had to make everything from scratch. Now that's the only way they will eat them. I know these are going to be a huge hit in our house.

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  10. Hice las enchiladas hoy. salieron RIQUISIMAS  mejor que en ningun restaurante. gracias por tomarte el tiempo de poner tus recetas en linea. Apenas encontre tu pagina y soy tu fiel fan desde ahora.

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  11. Muchisimas gracias, Araceli!!!  Me da mucho gusto saber que te gustaron las enchiladas.  Estas son mis favoritas! :) 

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  12. This is by far my favorite recipe.. I've made it like 10 times aleady, well maybe not 10, but at least 5. Your recipes are always the best. Thanks Leslie

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  13. leslie..los has hecho con cream cheese en ves de sour cream?

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  14. Those enchiladas are GREAT!!! I never tried them with Poblano, but the end result was gorgeous... thank you for sharing!

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  15. Ok, I am going to try these, but is the sauce spicey?

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  16. I know authentic mexican food when I see it, and this is it! This is the only recipe thatt resembles real enchiladas suizas. I've been looking, and am so glad I finally found your blog. Thank you!

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  17. Made these twice now... they are really awesome. Recipe is a keeper. Thanks, Leslie!

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  18. Yes, a little spicy and strong. So it goes best with rice, beans, or some less strong-flavored side dish.

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