Stacked Enchiladas and Mexican Grilled Chicken

The other evening, in a spur of the moment moment, we invited  friends over  (spur of the moment is hard for me) and we made some grilled Mexican Chicken and stacked enchiladas.

I had wanted to participate in  I Heart Cooking Clubs a few weeks ago when they did their 'grilled' theme, and then it didnt' work out for me, so this week is  potluck week and with potluck you can share any recipe in the theme, so  YAY,  I can still share this.
I really love Mexican food,  Tex-mex food and Rick Bayless and I've missed being able to particiapte in  I Heart Cooking Clubs.

I also love to have people over for dinner and lots of times will make somethng I've never made before.  I am very brave in this, but I've never really made anything that was horrible.  I can pretty much judge what I know people will  like and if the recipe is  good enough.
That sounds really arrogant, but I don't mean it like that.   I know my  limits and I would never try a new dish that's really complicated when inviting people to dinner...but Mexican food, I am fairly confident in making, so trying something new and invitng friends to help us taste it is fun for me.
This time it was  Stacked Enchiladas and Mexican Grilled Chicken.  For the original recipe  (cuz you didn't think  make it up myself, did you? ) for the enchiladas  just click on the item/dish and it will  take you right to the sight I got it from  (The Pioneer Woman's) .  It was an easy,  but so yummy dish to make.  I will make these enchiladas again...probably this weekend.   Everyone raved.

The Chicken came from  the Rick Bayless Website.  It too, was really good.  It is just an easy grilled chicken, but the rub/marinade gives it a real  authentic flair.
I sometimes cringe when I see cinnamon as an ingredient in savory dishes....I don't know why as I love cinnamon but tend to associate it with sweets and desserts---but in this marinade it made a ton of difference for my tastebuds!  It took me to just some spicey grilled chicken that anyone could do, to a  MEXICAN level.  If that sounds weird to you, you'll just have to give it a try.   Invite friends if you do--you won't be sorry.

Rick Bayless Grilled Roadside Whole Chicken


For the marinade:
1-1/2 tablespoons ground Ancho chile powder
1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
A big pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp salt

1 large (3 lb) chicken
About 1 cup roasted Tomatillo Salsa, for serving

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients.
Heat one side of a gas grill to medium. If you have a grill with three burners, heat the outer two to medium, leaving the center one off. Or light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the charcoal is covered with white ash and about medium-hot; bank half the coals to one side of the grill, half to the other.

While the grill is heating, remove the giblets (if there are any) from the cavity of the chicken. Flip the chicken onto its breast. Using poultry shears, cut down both sides of the backbone from tail to neck; discard backbone. Or, if you don't have shears, lay the bird on its back, insert a long heavy knife into the body cavity and press down hard with a rocking motion to cut down through both sides of the backbone. Open the bird out onto your work surface, breast side up. Make sure that the legs are turned inward. Using your fist or a mallet, wallop the bird on the breast, hard enough to dislodge the center bones and flatten out the breast. Twist the last joint of the wings up over the breast and then down behind the "shoulders," tucking them in firmly to keep them in place during grilling.

Smear both sides of the chicken with the marinade. Lay in the center of the grill (it will not be over direct heat). Cook, without turning, basting from time to time with any remaining marinade, until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced deeply with a fork (an instant-read thermometer should register about 160 degrees when inserted at the thickest part of the thigh), about 45 minutes. If you're cooking over charcoal, you'll want to add more charcoal to the fire after an hour or so - the internal temperature of the grill should stay at about 325 degrees. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. It will lose less juice if you cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters (or smaller pieces). Transfer a portion to each of four dinner plates and you're ready to serve. Pass the salsa separately.

It was so spur of the moment, I didn't even do a nice table setting!!   But the company made up for it.