Betsy Bailey

We had this for dinner last night. You should have it for dinner tonight!

My 12 year old watched me prepare this meal and asked, “Mom, are enchiladas hard to make?” In fact, they are not difficult, but they have quite a few steps and dirty a lot of dishes/pans. Plan on needing about an hour from start to dinner plate.

Kids in the kitchen: My 10 year old shredded cheese. My 12 year old opened the cans of enchilada sauce and green chiles, plus she set the table and moved all the lunch/snack dishes from the counter to the dishwasher. Next time I’ll probably also have her chop the chicken and assemble a few of the enchiladas, but with time a-wastin’, that’s requires a more leisurely day, like a weekend meal.

Husband in the kitchen: My wonderful husband washed up the bowls and pans as I moved on to the next steps, which helped keep the overall mess at a minimum. <smooch>

Family review: It was a hit! The sauce was a little bit spicy – perhaps a bit spicier than the kids preferred. We had this with steamed corn and tortilla chips and sliced strawberries on the side. The kids used the chips to “dip” into the enchiladas and that helped them deal with the heat. These were super yummy. I loved the chicken rub and the hint of cilantro. My husband was so happy. He loves Mexican and spicy foods and he was SO happy to have something that wasn’t vegetarian or pasta or beans for a change and that actually had MEAT in it. He said “dinner was so good tonight!” at least five times throughout the evening, including right at bedtime. Would I make this again? You bet!

>> Read on for the Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe!