Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile-Cilantro sauce

I'm in love with Mexican food.  I just going to put that out there.  If there's ever a time when I don't plan a menu in advance, I usually fall back on Mexican food.  I found this recipe in the most recent Taste of Home magazine.  It was the grand prize winner for "The New Southwest" contest.  I couldn't pass up giving it a try.  I'm glad I tried it.  Holy tortilla filled with seasoned chicken and topped with a delicious sauce.  I could think of a few people off the top of my head that would not touch these with a ten foot pole.  They aren't the most traditional enchiladas.  They are far different that the "mormonchiladas" that use cream of something soup and sour cream as a sauce.  My husband has banned those from our house.  :)  And yes... I came up with that term.  Anyone who is Mormon and is reading this should be laughing because every Mormon has made those enchiladas.  You know of which enchiladas I speak of... I like these a million times better. 

 Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile-Cilantro sauce
source: Taste of Home magazine April and May 2011

1 1/4 c frozen corn, thawed
4 oz chopped green chilies
1 c fresh cilantro
1/3 c heavy cream
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

enchiladas:
2 chicken breasts
1/3 c onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T olive oil
3/4 c salsa
1 T cornmeal
2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t oregano
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper
6 corn tortillas
1 1/4 c cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
1/4 c sliced black olives

For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix until it's blended.    Set aside.

Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium heat until it's cooked through.  Remove from the pan and shred it.  The original recipe used ground turkey, but I'm not a big fan of that so I used shredded chicken. 

Once it's shredded, return it to the pan and saute it with chopped onion for a few minutes.

 Add the salsa, corn meal, spices, and salt and pepper.  I added some chopped cilantro. 

 Stir it up, and you'll get this wonderfully seasoned chicken without using a taco Seasoning packet.  I can't even pronounce half of the ingredients in that stuff.

 Place three of the corn tortillas in between two damp paper towels and heat them for 30 seconds.  This will make it so the tortillas won't break when you're rolling them.  You can use flour tortillas to avoid this problem, but we like corn tortillas a bit better.  Place some of the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla and top with some shredded cheese.  Roll it up and stick it seam side down in a greased baking dish.

 Spoon some of the sauce over the tops of the enchiladas.  Sprinkle with some more cheddar cheese and top with invisible black olives.  ok- they aren't invisible.  You got me this time.  I just forgot to take a picture when they were on there. 

Cover and bake them in a 350 degree for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Remove the foil cover and bake for 10 minutes more. 

I know they look frightening.  Trust me on this one... You've just got to try them.  I served them with sweet heat salsa.  Andy said that they just might be his new favorite enchiladas.  I might just have to agree.

ok- I have to finish watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  Blogging is impossible with this movie on.  Farewell!