Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Honey lime chicken enchiladas!  Finally, it's posted--it's the perfect way to begin the new year!

I'm excited to share this one, because according to my boyfriend, Tony (and me, of course), this is one of the top 5 things that I make for dinner.  When you first think of enchiladas, I'm sure honey isn't exactly something you'd expect on the ingredient list, but in this recipe it really adds an amazing quality to this dish!  It is the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory.  The honey, lime, chicken, and cheese all meld together perfectly in a bed of green enchilada sauce.  These definitely are not traditional Mexican enchiladas by any means, but they are a stellar variation!

I originally saw this recipe posted on Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and it immediately sparked my interest.  However, I tend to bookmark a lot of recipes and then forget about them...but then, it seemed like it was getting posted on practically ALL of my favorite blogs, with tons of rave reviews.  Since this recipe has so many fans, I knew that I had to try it and see what all the hype was about.  I'm so glad I did (and Tony's glad too)!

Now, enchiladas are probably one of the toughest foods to photograph.  With their melted cheese and dripping sauce, they aren't exactly photogenic, so I tried my best to get the least messy looking picture.  I hope my ravings about this dish are enough to convince you to try it.  I kept the recipe almost identical to the original post, except I reduced the honey just a bit, and increased the amount of lime juice.  I prefer it this way, so that these enchiladas are not overly sweet, but just enough to lend a subtle taste to the dish.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
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Recipe adapted from Mel's Ktichen Cafe
Yield:  One 9x13 dish

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp honey
6 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (about 3 chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (or sour cream)

Directions:
Mix the first four ingredients together and toss with the shredded chicken in a Ziploc bag.  Let it marinate for at least a 1/2 hour.  Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, reserving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of the enchiladas.  Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade.  Pour sauce on top of enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until browned and crispy on top.

*Freezer directions:  Follow preparation directions, then freeze prior to baking.  To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing) for 1 hour.  Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until browned and crispy on top.  Enchiladas may be frozen up to 2 months.