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Sometimes I have a surplus of one specific ingredient in my kitchen, in this case…it’s zucchini! Thankfully, it is a very versatile item that is super easy to cook and can take on many flavors.

Now that I have gone back to work post-pandemic, I wanted to have dinners that we could prepare in advance and leave in the fridge or freezer for a go-to meal.

Adobo Chicken Enchiladas

Let’s start with the zucchini chicken enchiladas!
This dish actually made for two dinners PLUS a third night of nachos with the leftover shredded chicken. Not bad for basically half a week.

Ingredients Used

• 3 Large Chicken Breasts
• 1/2 Can of Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce
• 1 Sliced Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Large Sliced Onion
• 1 Jalapeño ( I kept the ribs and seeds for some extra heat)
• Spice Rub-Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Cumin, Smoked Paprika
• About 1 Cup of Chicken Stock
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro
• 2 Large Zucchinis ( I think! I had so many I am not sure anymore)

I used a crock pot for the chicken so I could easily shred the meat and veggies to roll up in my zucchini enchiladas.

I made the chicken in advance the day before so it was cooled down and easier to work with. No use burning your fingers to roll up zucchini. It’s good to make this in advance as well, so all the flavors can really marinate and be happy together.

I placed the peppers, onions, and jalapeño in the bottom of the crock pot along with 1/2 the can of the adobo chilies, chicken stock, and a handful of cilantro.

Then I topped the veggies with the chicken breasts and sprinkled the spice rub all over the chicken. I did not measure, I just mixed all the spices together kind of eyeballing it to make enough for a nice coat on the chicken. Placed the crock pot lid on top, and kept that baby on low and slow for 8 hours. When the chicken was super tender, I shredded the meat and let it cool until I could refrigerate over night.

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When ready to create my meal, I put a thin layer of the crock pot chicken into the baking dish before adding my zucchini enchiladas seam side down to the prepared dish.

To assemble the zucchini enchiladas, I used my handy-dandy mandolin to thinly slice my zucchini lengthwise. I laid four slices next to each other, slightly overlapping to create a tortilla effect. Sprinkled with a pinch of salt and then scooped my shredded chicken onto the zucchini and rolled ’em up.

My dish held six perfectly rolled enchiladas. I topped the enchiladas with pepper jack and mozzarella cheese then baked at 350° until golden brown and heated through, about 30 minutes.

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We ate these enchiladas with a side of corn made with lime juice, cilantro, and a couple tablespoons of cream cheese for some extra indulgence and creaminess, as well as, some fresh guacamole and pico de gallo.

The flavor combination of this dish was out of this world. The smokey and spicy chicken wrapped in the zucchini helped keep the dish balanced and not overpowered by the heat of the jalapeño. Served with the cool pico and the smooth guac with the acidity of the lime…oh my God, perfect bite of food!

For this dish, you could easily substitute many aspects of this. Don’t have chicken breasts? Use pork, beef, chicken thighs, or keep it vegetarian! We have made these with black beans and also refried pinto beans…incredible! We didn’t use any sauces for these enchiladas but you could easily buy a jar of your favorite enchilada sauce or salsa to bake on top of your dish. You could also use your store bought sauce or salsa to cook with your meat and veggies in the crock pot instead of layering it on top of your zucchini enchiladas. Use up whatever veggies you have, corn, onions, peppers, beans, tomatoes, corn, radishes, etc. The list and ideas are always endless!