Today I thought I’d post the recipe for some delicious Shredded Pork Enchiladas With Cilantro Lime Sauce I made recently. I made these enchiladas as a way to use up some leftovers in our refrigerator (pork chops and rice), but LOVE the “yumminess” that came out of that brainstorming session!
I used a green enchilada sauce that I made and canned this summer, and totally recommend making it (Cilantro-Lime Enchilada Sauce). It’s a very quick & easy fresh-tasting sauce to flavor the enchiladas (you don’t have to can it!), but if you are pressed for time, just use a good quality grocery store bought green enchilada sauce instead.
I made this recipe up just using my feeble old brain and some food items I had in our refrigerator, so I used leftover shredded pork, and some leftover wild rice… but you can make it work with whatever you have lurking in your fridge. Chicken, pork, wild rice or white rice… you really can’t hurt these enchiladas. Here’s what you do to make 4 large enchiladas (large enough we only needed one each to be full!):
Start with pre-cooked shredded pork or chicken. (I threw some leftover pork chops into the crock pot early in the day with some broth and re-cooked them until they shredded easily).
I also used some leftover cooked wild rice I found in the fridge (but you can substitute any cooked rice!)
I placed the pork and rice into a large skillet, stirred to combine, then added 1/2 cup of my homemade cilantro-lime enchilada sauce, mixed it together, then heated it through.
In another skillet, I quickly sauteed onions, red, green, and orange bell peppers, along with some garlic. Once they were cooked, I added them to the pork/rice mixture.
I added a small amount of sour cream, water, salt, cumin, chili powder, and fresh cilantro to the pork/rice mixture and stirred it all to combine (off the heat).
I poured a bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of my baking dish, to slightly cover.
I spooned some of the pork/rice/veggie mixture down the middle of 4 medium sized (8 inch) flour tortillas. I added grated pepper jack cheese, then folded one end of the tortilla over the filling, rolled it and tucked in the other end of the tortilla. I laid the filled & rolled enchiladas seam-side down on top of the sauce.
I poured the rest of the enchilada sauce over the surface of the tortillas (cover as much as you can with the sauce), then added additional pepper jack cheese to cover.
I covered the pan with aluminum foil, then baked the enchiladas at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. I removed the foil about 5 minutes before they were done baking, and continued cooking. Once done and the cheese and sauce was bubbly, I removed pan from the oven, let it sit for a minute to firm up the cheese slightly.
The enchiladas were placed onto individual dinner plates with a garnish of sour cream and chopped cilantro. Each enchilada was pretty large, so my husband and I only ate ONE, and then enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day (and FYI- they were just as wonderful as the night before!).
I really enjoyed coming up with this recipe from leftovers from our fridge. It’s a great way to use up what you have, without wasting it!
I normally use corn tortillas and red enchilada sauce when I make our enchiladas, but these were so amazingly delicious, I will be making them again and again. Sure hope you will give them a try… and hope you enjoy them like we did! Have a fantastic day!
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Recipe Source: My brain, with a refrigerator full of leftovers!
- 6 cups tomatillos , husks removed and quartered
- 1/2 cup brown onion , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly, or use equivalent amount of minced garlic)
- 2 medium jalapenos , finely chopped
- 3 Tablespoons cilantro , chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 cups shredded pork , shredded (may substitute chicken)
- 1 cup cooked rice (I used wild rice, but any kind is okay)
- 1/2 cup brown onion , chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers (I used mix of red, orange, and green)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 8" medium sized (8 inches) flour tortillas
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream (for garnish)
- chopped cilantro (for garnish)
- To make the lime-cilantro enchilada sauce:
- Remove husks from tomatillos; rinse, then cut into quarters. Place into large stockpot, along with garlic /jalapenos; drizzle with olive oil. Cook veggies on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Add water, cilantro, cumin, and salt to pan. Cover pan; simmer on low for 10 minutes, until tomatillos have softened. Once softened, use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to process sauce until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice;stir to combine. Set sauce aside.
- Combine shredded pork, and cooked rice in a large skillet. Add 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir to combine.
- In separate skillet, saute onions and bell peppers for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add minced garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the cooked vegetables to the pork/rice mixture, and heat through (1-2 minutes). Remove skillet from heat.
- Add 2 Tablespoons sour cream, water, cumin, chili powder, and salt to the pork/rice mixture. Stir well to combine.
- Spoon some of the remaining enchilada sauce over the bottom of a baking dish.
- Spoon equal amounts of filling onto the flour tortillas. Add a generous sprinkling of pepper jack cheese to the top of the pork/rice mixture, making sure to save some to top the enchiladas with. Roll the enchiladas up, burrito style, then place, seam-side down on top of the sauce in baking dish.
- Cover the enchiladas with additional sauce to ensure tortillas are fully covered.
- Sprinkle remaining pepper jack cheese all over the top of the enchiladas.
- Bake at 350 degrees (dish covered with aluminum foil) for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes, or until sauce and cheese is bubbly.
- Remove dish from oven. Let sit for a minute to let the cheese firm up. Serve enchiladas onto individual serving plates. If desired, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, and additional chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
If using my recipe for lime cilantro sauce, you will have extra sauce left over. It is easily freezable (freezer bags), if you wish to do so.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!