Caramelized Onion and Poblano Enchiladas

I was in a sharing mood today, so I thought I'd drop by and offer up another recipe. I just typed this one up for a friend, and thought it warranted a posting. This recipe isn't anything new from our repertoire. But it is a recipe that we come back to, time and time again. Everyone who samples these enchiladas loves them. And they appeal as well to the carnivorous crowd as they do to veggie lovers.

Caramelized Onion and Poblano Enchiladas
Inspired by a recipe by Jack Bishop
Serving Size: 4 as a main course

FILLING AND TORTILLAS:
1 tablespoon canola or corn oil
1 pound onions (about 3 medium) -- halved and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese –- shredded (about 2 cups)
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
3 poblano peppers
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves -- chopped
10 6-inch corn tortillas
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 can/jar of your favorite enchilada/red sauce

Preheat the broiler. Place poblano peppers on a cookie sheet and place about 4 inches beneath the broiler. Allow all sides of the poblano skins to blister and blacken, turning about every 7 minutes or so. When poblanos are well spotted, put them in a brown lunch bag and allow them to sit for about 10 minutes. When poblanos have cooled slightly, peel the skin from each, running under water as necessary to remove blackened bits. Slice open and remove stem and seeds. Slice into thin ribbons.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, sugar and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are browned deeply and very soft, about 15 minutes. Scrape the onions into a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, mix thoroughly, and allow to cool. When mixture is close to room temperature, add the sliced poblanos, about half of the cheese and the cilantro to the bowl with the onions and toss to combine.

Move the oven racks to the lower-middle and the upper-middle positions and heat the oven to 300°F. Divide the tortillas among 2 large rimmed baking sheets and generously spray both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray. Bake the tortillas for 3 minutes, or until pliable to roll easily. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

Spread half of the chile sauce evenly across the bottom of a 13" x 9" glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange the heated tortillas on a work surface. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon about ¼ cup of the onion filling across the center of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla very tightly (the ends will be open) and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Spoon the remaining sauce over the filled tortillas, making sure the sauce coats each tortilla from end to end. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup (2 ounces) of cheese over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish with foil and place it on the upper-middle rack of the oven. Bake until the enchiladas are hot, about 20 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and uncover the pan. Serve.

We love this served with some freshly made guacamole and sour cream.



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