Best Short-Cut Chicken Mole Enchiladas

A solid chicken mole (pronounced MOH-lay) is harder to come by than one might think. For those of you who have never had proper mole sauce, "mole" can be a somewhat generic term for a bunch of sauces used in Mexican cuisine but most commonly it is a blend of chocolate, chilis, garlic, onions, and sometimes nuts that is served over a variety of meats, poultry, and seafood.  Mole is to Mexico what Marinara is to Italy and what Bearnaise is to France..sort of a big deal. When executed well mole sauce is smokey and exotic - the chocolate adds this dimension that people can't really put their finger on. I have a few recipes for making this dish from scratch but they are time and labor intensive, so lately I have been experimenting with some short-cuts and a couple of evenings ago I found a winner. Keep in mind you can also make this vegetarian-friendly by substituting the chicken for extra cheese, rice, and/or beans, etc.

Short-Cut Chicken Mole Enchiladas

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders (or buy breasts, whatever you prefer)

1 bunch of fresh cilantro

3 T chopped garlic

3 limes

1 orange

1 9.5 oz box of Dona Maria Ready-to-Serve Mole

1 can Rosarita Enchilada Sauce

1 cup cojita cheese

3 cups shredded cheddar and jack cheeses (you can buy the "Mexican" blend at the store pre-shredded)

8 tortillas (flour tortillas are easier to work with than corn but you can make either work)

1 avocado

Method

1. Marinate your chicken. Toss the chicken into a large zip-lock bag with juice from limes and orange, garlic, and as much cilantro as you can handle ( I used about half a bunch).  Leave bag in your fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to a few hours is fine.

2. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to large pan and pan-fry chicken (dump the liquid in your marinade bag into the pan too) and cook until liquid is cooked-off and chicken is browned and tender. Remove chicken from heat, let stand for a few minutes, and then chop/shred.

3. In a large bowl mix one container of mole sauce and equal parts enchilada sauce. Set aside.

4. Pre-heat oven to 400. Pull out rectangular baking dish (one that will fit 8 enchiladas across) and spoon layer of the enchilada sauce concoction (only about 1/2 inch) across bottom of dish. Take your tortilla and add shredded/chopped chicken and a bit of your 3 cheeses and then roll up and place on top of sauce in baking dish. Repeat until you have stuffed 8 tortillas. Pour remainder of sauce over your rolled tortillas and top with remainder of cheese. Bake in oven 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

5. Scoop enchiladas out of dish (a spatula works great) and top with chunks of fresh avocado before serving. Pair with your favorite beans and rice.