Chicken Enchiladas with Quick Coffee Ranchero Sauce

Start your week with a 

A savory recipe that's easy and quick. Use a rotisserie chicken as a timesaver. The sauce is sweet and smoky. The coffee gives the sauce depth of flavor. It's a meal the entire family will enjoy.  Pair the chicken enchiladas with boxed Spanish/Mexican rice and a fruit compote. 
The recipe was adapted from a publication called Real Food Fall 2017 distributed by Lunds & Byerys Grocery store. 

Cook's notes: I tested the dish with both flour and corn tortillas. I felt the corn added much more flavor to the dish. I  used 5 inch rather than 8 inch tortillas Mission brand. They  were advertised super soft but I still heated the tortillas in microwave covered with a damp paper towel for 20 seconds before filling them so they'd roll easier. A toothpick can also be used to secure each enchilada. Use a 13 x 9 pan if making 8 inch tortillas or a 9 x 9 pan for 5 inch tortillas. An oval baking dish works for this recipe too. 
Ingredients:

• 1 TB. olive oil
• 1 cup each sweet onions, diced and mini red, yellow and orange peppers, diced
• 8 corn or flour tortillas, 5 inch or 4-5 8 inch
• 3 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided reserve 1/2 cup
• 1 TB. parsley flakes
• Optional chopped cilantro

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (10 oz.) red enchilada sauce, mild or hot
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee, chilled
• 1 TB. brown sugar
• 1-2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Directions:

• In a small fry pan saute onions and peppers in olive oil. Set aside.
• Whisk all sauce ingredients in a bowl.
• Warm tortillas in microwave 20 seconds.
• Mix chopped chicken with sauteed onion and pepper mixture 
• Place several tablespoons of sauce in bottom of a baking dish. 
• For each tortilla layer the following: sauce, chicken, onion mixture and pepper mixture, handful of shredded cheese. 
• Roll and secure with a toothpick if needed. Place in baking dish. Fit tortillas snugly together. 
• Pour sauce over enchiladas, reserving 1/3 cup. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and 1 TB. parsley flakes.    
• Bake uncovered 25 minutes. 
• Top with your favorite Mexican toppings.
• Use reserved sauce when heating up leftovers the next day.    

October

by John Updike

The month is amber

Gold, and brown.

Blue ghosts of smoke

Float through the town.

Great V's of geese

Honk overhead,

And maples turn

A fiery red.

Frost bites the lawn. 

The stars are slits

In black cat's eye

Before she spits.

At last, small witches,

Goblins, hags,

And pirates armed

With paper bags,

Their costumes hinged

On safety pins,

Go haunt a night

of pumpkins grins.