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Do you remember Chi Chi’s restaurant? It was my favorite back in the day and their seafood enchiladas were at the top of my list. Creamy, cheesy, with big chunks of seafood, I still find myself craving these enchiladas.
This is my take on Chi Chi’s luscious seafood enchiladas. They’re pretty close to the original, but not exact. They are, however, completely delicious. I like to serve them with Mexican Grilled Corn, Spicy Mexican Rice Pilaf, and a Jalapeno Guava Margarita. Play some Madonna and reminisce about the ’80s.
In trying other internet copycat recipes, I found some to be way off base in taste and texture and others to be really, really close to what I remembered.
I knew I wanted the enchiladas to be mild in flavor, not too fishy or spicy. After reading comments on blog posts, I discovered someone who mentioned that having worked at Chi Chi’s they knew that the sauce contained cream cheese and sour cream. Maybe that’s what was missing. After many trials and errors, this is as close as I can get.
Alternatively for stronger seafood flavor, swap fish stock, clam juice, or shrimp base for the lobster base (which is quite mild).
Do you remember Chi Chi’s restaurant? It was my favorite back in the day and their seafood enchiladas were at the top of my list. Creamy, cheesy, with big chunks of seafood, I still find myself craving these enchiladas. I think you will as well! Luckily, you can make them easily at home.
For the shrimp:
For the filling:
For the enchiladas:
To cook the shrimp:
Fill a large saucepan about ¾ full of water.
Add the Old Bay Seasoning, squeeze the lemon, and add it to the pot.
Bring the pot to a full rolling boil over high heat.
Turn off the heat and add the shrimp.
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and allow to sit for 4-5 minutes until the shrimp are opaque.
Drain the shrimp in a colander and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking process.
When cool enough to handle, chop and set aside.
To make the sauce:
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Sprinkle in the flour and mix into the butter. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
Stir in the white pepper, salt, and lobster base. Cook for another minute.
Whisk in the milk, sour cream, and cream cheese cubes until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth – about 5 minutes.
Pour in the wine and add the cheese.
Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and the cheese is melted – about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
To prepare the filling, combine the chopped shrimp and imitation crab meat in a medium bowl. Pour 1 ½ cups of the over the seafood and stir to combine.
To assemble the enchiladas:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
Spoon a thin layer of the reserved sauce into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of the filling down the center of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla and then roll it up.
Place the enchilada seam side down into the pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden on top.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with lime wedges.