Chicken Mole Enchiladas

I love a good mole sauce. Normally, mole can take awhile to make, but when I saw a quick version I knew it was perfect for our Cinco De Mayo dinner. This recipe was delicious, quick, and easy. I made a few alterations to the original recipe and in 30 minutes had a mole. If you haven't tried mole this is a great way to experience something new without too much fuss. Happy Friday and enjoy the chicken!
Chicken Mole Enchiladas
recipe by Marcela Valladoild

3 chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Mole:
5 dried pasilla chiles, (or dried anocho chiles) stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup hot water
Handful of tortilla chips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 cups chicken stock 
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter 
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Enchiladas:
12-15 corn tortillas, warmed
Oil, as needed
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Mexican blend cheese

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

For the chicken breasts: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a baking sheet, season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and olive oil, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through or, set aside to cool, then shred into small (1-inch) pieces.

For the Mole: Reconstitute the dried chiles by soaking them in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. In a heavy large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, season with a little salt and saute 3 minutes, or until translucent. Then add the minced garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer onion and garlic mixture to blender with all remaining mole ingredients (except for the chocolate and chicken) and blend until very smooth. Then transfer the sauce to a medium saute pan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the chocolate. Season the mole with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1 cup of mole for garnishing the enchiladas, the rest will be used for dipping the tortillas.

To assemble the enchiladas: Re-heat the shredded chicken if necessary and keep warm. In a medium saute pan (wide enough to fit the tortillas laying flat) over high heat add the oil to reach 1/2-inch up the side. When oil is hot, dip one tortilla at a time, and fry for a few seconds just until soft and heated through. Lift out, let excess oil drip, then dip the fried tortilla directly into the warm mole (which should be right next to the pan for easy dipping) and place on a cutting board. Working quickly, put about 1/3 cup of the warm shredded chicken in the center, being careful not to over fill. Roll the tortilla like a cigar to enclose the filling and place in serving dish seam side down.  If necessary, use tongs or a spatula to place each enchilada seam side down in the dish. Continue to fill all of the tortillas and place them side-by-side. Pour the remaining, reserved Mole over the top and sprinkle the cheese on top.  Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

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