Swiss Chard, Chicken, and Leek Enchiladas with Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce

Swiss chard, chicken, and leeks fill these summer enchiladas, flavored with green chiles and slow-roasted tomato enchilada sauce.

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If you've got a big pile of Swiss chard available (please note I could have written 'to use up' but opted against it because chard in this dish is something wonderful, not something to use up) read on.

Bonus if you've got some leeks.

If you prefer not to eat chicken, try Lauren at Gourmet Veggie Mama's Chard Enchilada recipe or Michael at Herbivoracious' gorgeous Chard Enchilada recipe (where I was inspired to throw cilantro and red onion on top of my finished dish).

This recipe turned a big bag of Swiss chard and two fat leeks from my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share, plus some leftover roasted chicken--hanging out like a bored teen in the summer--into a cheesy and satisfying summer supper.

It all started with this enchilada sauce recipe from Andrea of Recipes for Divine Living.  I figured I'd use some put-up slow-roasted tomatoes in place of canned, and I made a whole mess of sauce.  Half go it went into Confetti Turkey Enchiladas and the other half went into a quart jar in the freezer.  When Lauren mentioned her chard enchiladas the same day we got our CSA pick up my mind started considering my options.  I thawed the jar overnight in the fridge and corralled my bored teen to help chop, and we had a great dinner.


For more recipes using leeks, please see my Recipes Using Leeks collection. For more recipes using Swiss chard, please see my Swiss Chard Recipes Collection. These collections are part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me eating from the farm share, the farmer's market, the garden, the neighbor's garden, and great deals on ugly produce at the grocery store.


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Swiss Chard, Chicken, and Leek Enchiladas (serves 8)

Ingredients

• 1 quart prepared enchilada sauce (my recipe is here), divided
• 1 large bunch (6 to 10 leaves) Swiss chard
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 cup sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1 4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles (or ½ cup roasted Hatch chiles if you've got 'em)
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (optional)
• 2 to 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 8 enchilada size tortillas, warmed according to package directions
• optional toppings for serving: sour cream, red onion, cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  
2. Spray 9x13 inch pan with vegetable oil spray or grease with butter.  Pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce in bottom of prepared pan.  Set aside. 
3. Separate chard stems from leaves.  Chop stems into small pieces and slice leaves into ribbons. 
4. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add cooking oil and when it is shimmery, sauté the chard stems and leeks over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until softened.  
5. Stir in chard leaves and cook until wilted, another 3 minutes or so.  
6. Dump chiles and chicken on top of vegetables, stir to combine.  
7. Add 1 cup of enchilada sauce to skillet and mix thoroughly.  Remove from heat.  
8. Spoon ⅓ to ½ cup of mixture down center of tortilla.  
9. Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese, roll up, and place seam side down in prepared pan.  
10. Once you've used up all the tortillas/the pan is full, spread the remainder of enchilada sauce and remainder of shredded cheese over the top of the tortilla rolls.  
11. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to brown.  
12. Serve with sour cream, red onion, and cilantro.

Hazards of using the floor as a backdrop.

This post is shared on What's Cookin' Wednesday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Tasty Tuesdays