Ingredients for Chicken
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess fat
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce (you can use canned, jellied, whole berry sauce)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Buttered egg noodles or brown rice, for serving
Ingredients for Chilaquiles
- 10 ounces *Homemade Enchilada Sauce (*Recipe included below)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 ear fresh corn, shucked, silks removed, and sliced off the cob - can substitute ½ cup of frozen roasted corn.
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 4 big handfuls corn tortilla chips
- 1 cup cooked black beans (about ½ can, drained and rinsed)
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, for garnish
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Pickled red onions, for garnish
Ingredients for Enchiladas Sauce (10 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 heaped tablespoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground onion
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 cups beef stock (can use chicken stock if you prefer)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Directions for Chicken
1. In a 10-inch skillet, add the oil and turn the heat to medium-high
2. Meanwhile, season both sides of the chicken thighs very well with salt and pepper
3. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken pieces, skin side down
4. Don’t move the chicken until it browns thoroughly and releases from the pan easily, about 7-9 minutes
5. Meanwhile, whisk together the chicken broth, cranberry sauce, and balsamic vinegar
6. When the first side is golden brown, flip the chicken and cook on the other side. Add the cranberry mixture to the pan after flipping
7. Nestle the fresh rosemary in the sauce
8. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the chicken, uncovered, until it registers 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh. The sauce will thicken as the chicken cooks.
9. Serve the chicken with the cranberry sauce on top. I like to serve this chicken with egg noodles or buttered brown rice.
Directions for Chilaquiles
1. Prepare the enchilada sauce as directed below
2. In an 8-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat
3. Add the corn to the skillet and cook without stirring often until it starts to blacken in places
4. Next, stir in the zucchini and bell peppers. Cook until softened and golden brown
5. Scrape the veggies out of the skillet and onto a plate
6. Place the skillet back on the heat (no need to clean it) and pour in the enchilada sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then start adding handfuls of tortilla chips, stirring between each addition.
7. When the skillet is almost full of chips, stir it gently to coat every chip in the sauce.
8. Add the veggies back to the skillet along with the black beans and heat through.
9. Place the skillet directly on the table (use an oven mitt) and sprinkle the tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, cilantro, and pickled onions on top.
10. Dig in!
Directions for Enchiladas Sauce
1. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter and oil over medium heat
2. Whisk in the flour and cook until it turns a light golden color, about 4 minutes
3. Whisk in the tomato paste and all of the spices. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant
4. Slowly pour in the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the vinegar.