Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

I love Mexican food.
The Bozos share my love of the cuisine, and in our house, we have Taco Tuesday weekly. Although, sometimes it is Taco Thursday, or Monday...but, we always squeeze it in somewhere.
For years, I've been using a different recipe for enchiladas. It's easier, but honestly, not anywhere near as authentic tasting as this new one is. I found the recipe in Cooks Illustrated magazine. You must have a subscription to view their recipes online. And I won't reprint the exact recipe here. But, I will say that if you look, you will find.
This recipe is a bit time consuming. Not exactly a quick weeknight meal. I suggest making a double batch & freezing one to have on hand when you need it. OR, shorten the process a bit by using pre-cooked or leftover chicken.

Start by preparing the ingredients for the filling & sauce.
You will need 1 cup of chopped onions.

Next, in a small bowl, add 3 cloves of minced garlic.

To that, add 2 tablespoons of chili powder,

2 teaspoons of ground coriander,

2 teaspoons of ground cumin,

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt,

and 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Next, put a 1/4 cup of water in a measuring cup,

& add 2-8 ounce cans of tomato sauce.

Then you will need 12 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Rinse the chicken, pat it dry & then trim off any excess fat. Slice the thighs into 1/4" strips.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium high heat.

Add the onions & saute until they become tender & start browning...about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic/spice mixture & mix for about 30 seconds.

Then add the chicken & mix for an additional 30 seconds, or until the chicken is well coated with the spices.

Pour in the tomato sauce & water. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat & cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through.

Next, scoop the chicken & sauce out & press it through a sieve. Use a spatula to force as much of the sauce through as you can...leaving behind the chicken & onions.

Put the chicken on a plate & refrigerate for about 10 minutes, or until completely cooled.

Set the sauce aside for now.

In a large mixing bowl, shred 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese.

Wash & dry a bunch of cilantro. Remove stems & mince. You will need a 1/2 cup.

Add that to the cheese,

and then mix in the chilled chicken.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lay 10 corn tortillas out on baking sheets. Spray both sides with cooking spray & heat until pliable...about, 4 minutes.

Remove the tortillas from the oven & place on any work surface. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a casserole dish.

Scoop out a 1/3 cup of the filling onto the center of each tortilla,

fold & place seam-side down in the dish.

Continue this until all the tortillas are filled.

Ladle on the rest of the sauce & use the back of a spoon to thoroughly cover all the enchiladas.

Sprinkle the top with some more shredded cheese. Cover the casserole in foil & cook for 25 minutes.

Remove foil & serve immediately,

with any of your preferred sides. Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, some minced cilantro, and rice...all work well!