Why it works: Cream cheese and cheddar cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 467 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓
Julie's Chicken Enchildas
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Boil chicken breast for about 1 hour until soft.
Shred the chicken with a fork.
Lightly fry the tortillas until soft.
Saute the shredded chicken with cream cheese and salsa in a skillet until a creamy mixture forms.
Shred both packs of cheese.
Assemble and bake
Dip the tortillas in the sauce to coat them.
Place a spoonful of the chicken mixture and a spoonful of cheese into each tortilla, then roll them up in a circular motion.
Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and add more cheese.
Cut the green onions into very small slices and sprinkle over the enchiladas.
Spread the sliced olives around on top of the enchiladas.
Cook for about 30 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Corn Tortilla | 1 medium flour (45g) | 140 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cream Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 99 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
| Enchilada | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Cream cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together467 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Onion + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Chicken + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,814 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Chicken + olivetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,888 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid hexyl ester (sweet, green).
-
Olive + corntop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,502 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken breast
- Provides the main protein and bulk of the filling, becoming tender after boiling.
- Cream cheese
- Makes the chicken filling creamy and moist, binding it together when sauteed with salsa.
- Shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese
- Melts into the filling and topping, adding richness and browning on top.
- Corn tortillas
- Form the wrapper that holds the filling, softened by frying and sauce so they roll easily.
- Enchilada sauce
- Moistens the tortillas and coats the rolled enchiladas, adding savory chili flavor.
The step that matters
Frying the tortillas until soft. Tortillas that are not briefly fried stay stiff and crack when rolled. A quick fry softens them and makes them more pliable and less likely to absorb too much sauce.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, sauce, cream cheese, olive, cheddar cheese, corn):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Potatofits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, sauce, cream cheese, olive, cheddar cheese, corn. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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