I doubled the sauce and it is just perfect.

CREAMY POBLANO SAUCE

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 large poblano, minced (reserve 2 tablespoons)

¾ cup sour cream (If you don’t have Sour Cream, you can use 4 ozs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese)

½ teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper

Cajun or Creole Seasoning

2 cups Monterey or pepper jack cheese (divided)*

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

ENCHILADA FILLING

1 lb. Shrimp, Peeled, and Deveined ( I used 2 lbs. Shrimp)

2 tablespoons oil

½ cup white onions, diced

4 teaspoons minced garlic

2 ½ cups shredded (matchstick) carrots

5 cups packed fresh baby spinach

a couple of dashes of hot sauce*

12 flour or whole wheat tortillas

CREAMY POBLANO SAUCE:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes or until it just begins to brown. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and cook. You want to whisk continuously so you don’t have any lumps, about 2-3 minutes. When the sauce begins to thicken just a bit, add in the sour cream, whisking if necessary. Next, add garlic powder and the poblano (except the reserved 2 tablespoons). Simmer and allow the sauce to thicken for another 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste and stir in 1 cup of cheese. When the cheese melts, remove it from the stove and stir in 2 tablespoons of cilantro. Set aside.

ENCHILADA FILLING:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and allow them to cook for about 1 minute per side. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the shrimp to a plate using a slotted spoon. Discard any moisture from the pan and wipe clean. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook the onions for 1-2 minutes or until they just being to turn translucent. Add the garlic along with the 2 tablespoons of reserved poblano and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the matchstick carrots and baby spinach along with a couple of dashes of hot sauce. Allow the spinach to just barely begin to wilt and remove it from the stove. Chop the shrimp and add them to the spinach mixture, stir to combine.

ASSEMBLY:

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the tortillas on a flat surface such as a cutting board and spoon the shrimp and spinach mixture in the center, about ⅓ cup. Sprinkle some of the remaining cheese and roll the tortilla and place it seam-side down on the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Drizzle the tops of the tortillas with ½ of the creamy poblano sauce, cover the casserole dish with foil, and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tortillas heat all the way through. Drizzle the remaining sauce on the enchiladas and top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cilantro.

NOTES:

I highly highly recommend shredding your own cheese for this recipe. The consistency of the sauce won’t be as creamy and smooth if you use pre-shredded cheese.

For the hot sauce, I used Louisiana-style hot sauce, which is a little more acidic and not as spicy. Feel free to use whatever kind of hot sauce you like best!