Texans Helping Texans: White Girl Enchiladas Recipe (updated)

This post is sponsored by H-E-B.

Five years ago this month, I shared a favorite family recipe here on the blog. I’ve made it dozens of times since then-for my family, to bring to potlucks and to friends when they’ve been ill. So when H-E-B reached out to me and asked if I wanted to be a part of their new initiative, #TexansHelpingTexans as a way to celebrate the Texas spirit, I didn’t hesitate. The idea behind the initiative is to share tips and recipes that will help our fellow Texans get through this rather difficult time, as well as find ways to lift each other up. They specifically asked if I would share a favorite recipe, and I thought now was the perfect time to re-share “White Girl Enchiladas”, or Enchiladas Gringas if you want it to sound better. It’s just pure comfort food in a Tex-Mex style casserole. Below is the original recipe from 2015, with some additional notes and pictures added from 2020. Please consider sharing some of your favorite comfort food recipes in the comments!

Ingredients:
Flour tortillas (we love Mission tortillas and of course the fresh, homemade tortillas from H-E-B when they’re available. Since I’m gluten-free now, I also use the Siete brand tortillas, which can be found in the frozen section)
8 oz. block of cream cheese
¼ cup to ½ cup Miracle Whip (it needs the tangy flavor of Miracle Whip-not mayonnaise)
¼ cup to ½ cup of your favorite salsa (I prefer salsa verde, specifically Herdez)
2 cup bag of shredded Mexican blend cheese (or Colby and Monterey Jack)
¼ cup of milk
Shredded chicken (I use 2 large cans of canned, white meat chicken)
Optional add-ins: green chilis, chopped onions, black beans, corn, etc.

Substitutions:
If you’re dairy-free, H-E-B does carry the Go Veggie line, which has dairy-free shredded cheese (use the cheddar) and dairy-free cream cheese. We use unsweetened almond milk in place of the “regular” milk. For gluten-free, we use the Siete cassava flour tortillas. You can find them in the frozen section. Make sure you defrost them before using!

Our current favorite tortilla options

This salsa is so tangy and SO good! Try it on your scrambled eggs, too!

Directions:
1. Melt cream cheese, salsa, Miracle Whip, milk and a good handful or so of the shredded cheese in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, two large handfuls of shredded cheese, any add-ins that you’d like to add, and about a ladle-ful of the sauce (just enough to get the meat to stick together).  Reserve the rest of the sauce.

3. Heat the flour tortillas in a stack in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

4. Lightly spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with non-spray cooking spray and spread a small amount of the reserved sauce on the bottom of the pan.

5. Put about two tablespoons of the chicken mixture on a tortilla, roll it up, and place it seam side down in the baking pan.  Continue doing so until the pan is filled and the mixture is used up.  Should use about 10 tortillas.

6. Pour the remainder of the sauce over all of the rolled up tortillas.

7. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over the sauce.

8. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through.

I usually serve 1-2 tortillas per person, with a side salad and Spanish rice.

Mix the shredded chicken, shredded cheese, and a bit of the sauce together in a medium sized bowl.

Spread a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of a 9″x13″ baking dish (this helps the tortillas not to stick to the bottom of the pan.

After you fill the tortillas with a scoop of the shredded chicken mixture and place them in the pan, pour the remaining sauce all over the top. It should look like the picture above.

Now it’s ready to bake! I don’t have a picture of the finished product because we ate it all (again) before I could! It happens every time!