Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

When Darrell and I find a recipe we love, we stick with it. We don't look to improve it, we don't look to find one that might be better--we stick with what we know works and call it good. So imagine Darrell's surprise when I suggested trying a new chicken enchilada recipe. He knows that I love our chicken enchiladas and was shocked that I would consider changing or replacing it. However, I quickly assured him that this recipe would do no such thing--it would be a second chicken enchilada recipe (can you ever have enough Mexican recipes? I think not). These two recipes are so different that there is no way to pick one as being better than the other. Our "original" recipe is much more traditional, with salsa and pepper and some cream of chicken soup for extra creaminess. But this one? The chicken is marinated in a sweet/spicy honey lime sauce, and the enchiladas are covered in gooey Monterey Jack cheese and green enchilada sauce. Wildly different flavors from our other enchiladas--but equally delicious. So delicious that Darrell and I have made it twice in three weeks--and considering it makes two to three days worth of leftovers, that's a lot of enchilada meals. And we're not even close to being sick of them. In fact, we're already looking forward to making them again--I'm thinking this will be a good one to whip up once baby arrives: easy prep for a delicious meal with lots of leftovers. Definitely a win in my book!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
(recipe originally found here)

3 tbsp honey
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded
8 tortillas
16 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 10 oz cans green enchilada sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream (half and half would probably work here as well)

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder together. Pour over the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Marinate for at least thirty minutes. Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a 9x13 pan and then pour a little bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Fill a tortilla with approximately an eighth of the chicken mixture and a few tablespoons of cheese (set aside at least one cup of the cheese to sprinkle over the top of the enchiladas). Roll up the tortilla, place in pan, and repeat until all the tortillas are used. Mix together the cream and remaining enchilada sauce. Pour over the top of the enchiladas (it may seem like a lot, but it isn't overly sauce-y after baking). Sprinkle with the reserved cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.