Okay, so #MySignatureDish was trending on twitter. I obviously had to tweet one. If you follow me on twitter than you would not be surprised that tacos would be involved. But I also make a mean creamy enchilada verde, at least that’s what I call it. I have absolutely no latino DNA so I don’t pretend to know anything about latino cooking, dishes, recipes, anything. I just love tacos and enchiladas the way I make them.
Disclaimer: I realized after this tweet that tacoladas are already a thing. I didn't know. No one told me. I'm a little upset that the world kept this secret from me. But I am in no way now taking credit for the tacolada, just sharing my own recipe. Continue with the reading of the blog. And hold on to your hats because recipes and DIY are not my thing so this should be interesting.
Anyway, so I’m tweeting and I can’t decide, so the thought struck, what if I combine my creamy enchilada verdes and tacos into one dish…TACOLADAS!!! (Seriously, why did no one tell me this was a thing like when it became a thing? I feel betrayed. I'll forgive and move on though.)
What I am about to share with you is my recipe for what will be now and forever, or until such a time as I no longer love tacos, (JK, like that could ever happen) my signature dish.
Before we go any further I will point out that I know in the end this could just be seen as chicken tacos with a special sauce. I don’t care. Tacoladas is way more fun to say so don’t kill my dreams.
Put chicken breast tenders, a can of red enchilada sauce and a block of cream cheese in a crock pot. (I’m cheap and easy and this is how I do it, if you are awesome and know how to make actual enchilada sauce from scratch knock yourself out. If you’re really inspired make your own cream cheese. You do you.)
Cook it for about 4 hours. I use frozen chicken so I cook on high, if the chicken is thawed you can probably go lower. The point is to cook it until the chicken is no longer raw but I expect you don't need me to tell you that.
Stir it all up. I use two forks to then shred the chicken. If there is a more technical way to do this by all means be my guest. I just learned the right way to make mashed potatoes from an episode of master chef (Did you know it involves a ricer?) so I don’t pretend to have any real culinary abilities either..
Let it cook another 15 minutes.
Here comes the fun.
5. Lay out your tortillas. I use whole wheat ones but you get whatever kind you like. I won’t judge.
6. Spread a thin layer of salsa verde on the tortilla. Use whatever kind floats your boat. Hey, even make it from scratch…I don’t do that, but you go right ahead if you want to you little overachiever. (I’m not being sarcastic here, if you know how to make your own salsa anything I am genuinely impressed.)
7. Put some of the chicken mixture on the tortilla. Be sure to include some sauce but not too much or things get messy. (You can always spoon a little leftover cream sauce on your tacolada before you eat it, or hey, dip it in it if you want. Be free!)
8. Top with shredded cheese. I use fiesta blend. You can use plain cheddar or whatever. I’m flexible to your cheese preferences.
9. Bake these in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and gooey and bubbly and awesome.
10. Top with sour cream, avocado, black beans, tomatoes, more cheese, more sauce, more salsa verde, whatever you like. I just go with black beans and avocado, but you don’t have to be like me.
11. Eat and enjoy!
So there you have it friends. My TACOLADA!!
PS: If you are wondering or like to be traditional and just want good ole enchiladas, spread the salsa verde in a thin layer in the bottom of a casserole dish. Roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas and lay them in the dish. Drizzle more salsa verde on top, cover with cheese, bake at 350 until melty and gooey and bubbly and awesome. Serve the avocado and black beans on the side. That’s it. I have kids so quick and cheap and easy is what works for us. And whether it's enchilada or tacolada I hope you’ll like it.