Arizona and Mole Verde

June is nearly over – can you believe that? Today is Arizona Day. Arizona, one of my favorite states in this vast country of ours.

I love the look and the feel of the southwest – all of it, but especially Arizona. There is such beauty there. We could go on and on about the history and the people of Arizona. But then they say that a picture holds a thousand words. So here’s about 5,000 words . . .

I don’t think Mole was invented in Arizona, but maybe it should have been. Mole is one of Hubby’s favorite dishes. Be it a traditional Spicy Red Mole or Mole Verde, the flavors are incredible.

In a good Mexican restaurant, you can usually order things like Enchiladas Mole Style or Tamales Mole Style. That just means replacing the enchilada sauce with a mole sauce. Delicious.

Hope you have a wonderful Arizona Day and enjoy this delicious meal.

Chicken Mole Verde Enchiladas
5 boneless Chicken Thighs
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1/4 Yellow Onion, diced
1/4 cup Jalapeno Peppers, diced
1 jar Dona Maria Verde Mole Sauce
3 cups Chicken Stock, divided
1-1/2 cups Pepper Jack Cheese
8 Corn Tortillas

Thinly slice chicken thighs, season with salt and pepper, set aside. Pell and dice onion, set aside. Drain Jalapeno peppers, dice and set aside. Empty Verde Mole Sauce in a blender. Add about 2 cups of chicken stock, blend. Add more stock as needed to create a Mole Enchilada Sauce.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a little olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add chicken and onions, sauté until just beginning to brown. Add about a cup of the Mole Enchilada Sauce and jalapenos, stir to blend. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until chicken is tender and shreds easily, about 30 minutes, adding more liquid as needed to keep moist.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 325 degrees.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove skillet from heat. Lay chicken out on a cutting board to cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred meat and return to skillet. Warm gently in the sauce.

Warm tortillas on a tortilla pan sprayed with cooking spray until pliable and easy to work with. Stack warmed tortillas on a plate, set aide. Ladle a thin layer of the Mole Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Working with one tortilla at a time, fill with shredded chicken mole, top with cheese, then roll tortilla tightly around the filling to create an enchilada. Place in the prepared casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled.

Lady more sauce over the enchiladas, top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil, let bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes. Serve, drizzled with any remaining mole sauce and enjoy.

Great with with Refried Beans, Mexican Rice and Margaritas

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Blessed be the man who fears the Lord