Smoked Cheddar and Chicken Manicotti ‘Enchiladas’ Recipe

Directions

Courtesy: Harper Collins Publishers

If baking right away, place an oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, Cheddar, ½ cup of the chiles, the cilantro, crema, and salt. Stir and mash together until well combined. Working with one pasta shell at a time, use a small spoon or your fingers to scoop the chicken mixture into the shell, tamping it down with the end of the spoon or your finger (a chopstick also works well), repeating until the filling reaches the top edge. Rotate the shell and repeat on the other end to fill the shell from end to end. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and repeat with the remaining shells and filling. (If you have extra filling, nestle it around the manicotti in the pan. At this point the dish can sit, covered, for up to 1 hour.

Pour ½ cup of water evenly over the manicotti, followed by the enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with the Monterey Jack, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge of the pan, then top with the remaining chiles. Cover the dish first with parchment paper (if you have it), then tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until the pasta is easily pierced with a paring knife, 40 to 45 minutes.

Uncover the dish and return it to the middle rack, then heat the broiler to high and broil until the cheese is golden, 3 to 6 minutes (watch closely while broiling to prevent burning). Let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with extra cilantro and serve with more crema, avocado, and onion, if desired.

Chicken note: For a 2-pound rotisserie chicken, this quantity works out to about three-fourths of the chicken, but since the size of rotisserie chickens can vary, stick with the 3-cup measurement. You can also use leftover roast chicken. Be sure to dice the chicken smaller than the diameter of the opening of your manicotti — otherwise it won’t fit inside.

Hatch chiles note: One of the nice things about Hatch chiles is that they come in mild, medium, and hot, and either red or green. Choose your own adventure! I prefer jarred chiles and used Zia brand hot Hatch chiles in this dish. In a pinch, go for Hatch brand 4-ounce cans.

Monterey Jack note: For best results buy Monterey Jack cheese in a block and shred it by hand on the large holes of a box grater. Pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend has a powdery coating that prevents it from getting quite as perfectly melty, but it will work in place of the Monterey Jack.

Copyright 2024 by Dan Pashman. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.