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It takes time to prepare this menu, and the grocery list is fairly long. But fresh tomatillos, noblano Chile peppers. cilantro. and familiar spices ensure cleaned plates and rave reviews. To help you serve this fabulous meal with ease, follow the "Cook's Notes" and produce the recipes in stages. Add your favorite Spanish-style rice, and rest assured this meal for four will be remembered-and repeated.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS VERDE

1993 Recipe Hall of Fame

8 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon ground red pepper

2 teaspoons salt, divided

23 fresh tomatillos, husks removed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

1 tablespoon water

10 corn tortillas

Verde Sauce

1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese

Red Pepper Puree

BRING first 3 ingredients and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Add tomatillos, and cook 5 more minutes. Remove chicken and tomatillos, reserving broth for Verde Sauce and Mexican Pinto Beans. Bone and shred chicken. Chop 7 tomatillos, reserving remaining tomatillos for Verde Sauce.

SAUTE onion and garlic in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until tender. Add chopped tomatillos and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 5 minutes. Add chicken, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese.

SPRINKLE 1 tablespoon water in tortilla package. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute.

DIP each tortilla in Verde Sauce. Place about 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish; top with remaining sauce, spreading to ends of tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese and feta cheese. Cover and chill 8 hours, if desired; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

BAKE, covered, at 425deg for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with Red Pepper Puree. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Prep: 1 hr., Bake: 25 min.

VERDE SAUCE:

4 poblano chile peppers

16 reserved cooked tomatillos

1 1/2 cups reserved chicken broth, divided

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 romaine lettuce leaves, torn

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

BROIL peppers on an aluminum foil-- lined baking sheet 5 inches from heat about 5 minutes on each side or until peppers look blistered.

PLACE broiled peppers in a heavy-- duty zip-top plastic bag; seal bag and let peppers stand about 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel peppers; remove and discard seeds.

PROCESS peppers, cooked tomatillos, 1 cup chicken broth, and next 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender until mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Transfer mixture to a saucepan, and cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Slowly stir in remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, and cook about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Yield: 3 cups.

Prep: 35 min., Cook: 15 min.

RED PEPPER PUREE:

2 ( 7-ounce) jars roasted red bell pepper, drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

PROCESS bell pepper and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Cover and chill, if desired. Yield: 1 cup.

Prep: 5 min.

NOTE: 1 cup salsa may be substituted for puree.

MEXICAN PINTO BEANS

1994 Recipe Hall of Fame

1 cup dried pinto beans

3 cups reserved chicken broth

3 bacon slices, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

SORT and wash pinto beans; place in a large saucepan. Cover with water 2 inches above beans, and bring to a boil. Boil beans 1 minute. Cover, remove from heat, and let soak 1 hour. Drain.

BRING beans, broth, and remaining ingredients to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours. Chill, if desired; reheat over medium heat. Yield: 4 cups. Prep: 15 min., Soak: 1 hr., Cook: 2 hrs.

GRAPEFRUIT FREEZE

1993 Recipe Hall ofFame

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped

1 (64-ounce) bottle Ruby Red grapefruit Juice

Garnish: fresh mint sprig

BRING sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add mint; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into an 8-cup container; discard mint. Add grapefruit juice.

DIVIDE mixture into 2 (1-quart) freezer containers; cover and freeze at least 4 hours. Let stand 30 minutes before serving. Scrape with a spatula, or process, in batches, in a food processor. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 8 cups.

Prep: 20 min., Freeze: 4 hrs., Stand: 30 min.

COOK'S NOTES

Two days before

* Prepare Red Pepper Puree; chill.

* Prepare Grapefruit Freeze.

The day before

* Prepare Chicken Enchiladas Verde; chill.

* Prepare Mexican Pinto Beans; chill.

One hour before

* Remove enchiladas from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

* Prepare your favorite Spanish-- style rice; keep warm.

30 minutes before

* Bake enchiladas.

* Reheat beans.