These enchiladas are the real Southwestern deal with a chile sauce made from New Mexican green or red chiles. Enjoy!
For the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir in the flour, and the ground chile. Slowly add the water, whisking to break up any lumps in the chile. Add the oregano and the cumin, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Season with salt to taste.
The sauce may be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
Optional seasonings: diced tomato, fresh cilantro, and/or cumin.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a 9x12 baking dish or pan.
Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the dish and layer half of the tortillas evenly over the sauce. Top the tortillas with 1/2 of the chicken and 1/3 of the cheese and sprinkle with half the onion (for milder onion flavor, use scallions). Repeat for the second layer and top with the last cup of sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.
To serve, spoon portions onto dinner plates, garnish with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and top with 2 tablespoons sour cream. Serve with pinto beans and posole (optional).
*eliminate added salt to lower the sodium. This is not a low-sodium dish as cheese contains a substantial amount of sodium.