Unforgettable Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas & Joanna Gaines’ Authentic Mexican Rice Recipe

Get ready to discover a true culinary gem that you’ll want to keep in your recipe arsenal: these Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas paired with an incredibly flavorful Mexican Rice. This dynamic duo is not just a meal; it’s an experience. Boasting a minimal ingredient list and an explosion of taste, it’s remarkably simple to prepare yet guaranteed to be a massive crowd-pleaser. Imagine having a go-to recipe made with readily available ingredients, ensuring you can whip up this delightful meal whenever the craving strikes. The convenience factor is amplified by using pre-cooked chicken, like the incredibly tender pulled white meat available at Costco. I personally always keep a bag in my freezer, ready to transform into hearty soups or quick enchiladas at a moment’s notice.

Effortless Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas: A Weeknight Favorite

The beauty of these enchiladas lies in their sheer simplicity. The process is straightforward: combine your succulent chicken with a touch of flavorful chilis, layer it into tortillas with a generous sprinkle of cheese, and then simply roll them up. The creamy, tangy sour cream sauce that blankets these rolled treasures elevates them from good to absolutely extraordinary, creating a comforting dish that tastes like it took hours, but truly comes together in no time. It’s the kind of dish that warms you from the inside out, making it perfect for a cozy family dinner or a lively gathering with friends.

One interesting note from the original recipe involves the tortilla size. It specifically calls for 10-inch tortillas, which are typically labeled as “burrito size.” Using these larger tortillas results in about 8-10 generously sized enchiladas. To put this into perspective, these are roughly equivalent to 16-20 standard taco-sized enchiladas. While the larger size makes for an impressive presentation, I’ve found that using regular taco-sized tortillas can make the assembly process much easier to manage. Plus, smaller enchiladas are often more convenient for serving, eating, and even reheating leftovers. It’s a minor adjustment that can significantly enhance your cooking experience without compromising on flavor.

The Quest for Perfect Mexican Rice: A Family Legacy

Now, let’s talk about this Mexican Rice – it’s nothing short of perfection! And trust me, that’s not an exaggeration, especially coming from my father. My dad, whose mother was Hispanic, has a legendary story that he’s recounted my entire life. When he was about to marry my mother, he earnestly wished for her to learn how to make his mom’s famous Mexican rice. My mother, eager to please, obtained the recipe and prepared it. However, to my dad’s dismay, it simply wasn’t “right,” and he refused to eat it. They even tried making it side-by-side, meticulously following every step, convinced that perhaps her pots and pans were the issue. Yet, the outcome was the same – he wouldn’t touch it. They eventually concluded that the secret ingredient had to be that undefinable “little extra saltiness that grandma has,” making her rice uniquely perfect. For my entire life, whether my mom cooked Mexican rice or we dined at a Mexican restaurant, my dad would consistently, almost defiantly, skip the rice. His unwavering protest: “It’s just not like mom’s.”

This long-standing family saga continued until I made *this* particular rice. Having cooked with my grandma before, I recognized the striking similarities between this recipe and her method. Armed with this knowledge, I managed to convince my skeptical father to at least give it a try. What happened next was truly unforgettable. We practically had to pry the pot out of his hands! With a look of pure joy and astonishment, he declared, “It’s just like mom used to make!” I honestly don’t think I’ve ever witnessed him get more excited about a dish. It was a beautiful moment, bridging decades of culinary longing and connecting him to a cherished memory through the simple, yet profound, taste of home.

My Secret to Perfect Mexican Rice: Subtle Deviations for Superior Flavor

While this recipe is a near-perfect replica of my grandma’s, I confess I made a few subtle deviations, not out of necessity, but from a spontaneous decision to whip it up on the fly when my sister requested something special for dinner. These minor adjustments, I believe, contributed significantly to its outstanding success. Firstly, I only had a red onion on hand, so that’s what I used instead of a white one, adding a slightly milder, sweeter note. More importantly, I opted for Basmati rice, which is my preferred choice for all my rice dishes. Beyond its delightful fragrance and texture, Basmati rice generally has some of the lowest levels of naturally occurring arsenic among rice varieties. While all rice contains some level of arsenic – far too little to cause harm unless consumed in truly astronomical quantities – I prefer to err on the side of caution. I believe the key to this rice’s success lies in using a long-grain rice with a low starch level, characteristics perfectly embodied by Basmati.

Another crucial element in my preparation was utilizing my Fagor Pressure Cooker (you can find a link below). This appliance proved invaluable. It allowed me to perfectly sauté my vegetables and lightly brown the rice right in the same pot before the cooking process, ensuring maximum flavor development. The controlled environment of the pressure cooker then cooks the rice to an ideal texture – each grain separate, tender, and infused with flavor, without any stickiness or mushiness. This method consistently yields perfectly cooked rice every single time, a feat that can sometimes be challenging on a stovetop.

The overwhelming positive response to this Mexican rice has been truly surprising. Since that first impromptu preparation, it has been requested countless times. Mexican food has become our go-to for quick, easy, and satisfying meals, and I find myself reaching for this rice recipe so frequently that I’m well on my way to memorizing it. It’s more than just a side dish; it’s a vital component of a beloved meal, creating a holistic dining experience. I would absolutely love to hear your own stories of dishes that transport you back to “Mom used to make.” Please share your memories and recipes in the comments section below; I might even feature them in a future post!

Until next time, happy cooking!

Kendell

If you watched Joanna makes this recipe on Season 2, Episode 4 of her new cooking show ‘Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines‘ you can get the recipe by CLICKING HERE, she shared it on her blog so you can make it at home!

Explore More from Season 2, Episode 4 of Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines:

Cilantro Lime Rice

Fresh Tomato Salsa and Guacamole

Tres Leches Cake

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