Hearty Chicken Enchiladas

I'm on the search for good Mexican food.  Like the authentic, homemade kind.  I miss the good, non-chain kind of Mexican food I used to find elsewhere.  So, I decided to try these Chicken Enchiladas I found while cookbook browsing.



Hearty Chicken Enchiladas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans (15 oz each) enchilada sauce
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
8 flour tortillas (6 inches)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream, optional


In a 3 qt slow cooker, combine the chicken, enchilada sauce and chilies.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.  Remove chicken and shred with two forks.  Reserve 1 2/3 cups cooking juices.  Pour the remaining cooking juices into a large bowl; add the beans and shredded chicken.  Coat two freezer safe 8-in square baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray; add 1/2 cup reserved juices to each.  Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dishes.  Pour remaining reserved juices over top; sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and freeze one dish for up to 3 months.  Cover and bake the second dish at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.  Serve with sour cream if desired.
To use frozen enchiladas: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Bake as directed.  Yield: 2 casseroles (4 servings each).

Surprise, surprise I changed up this recipe too!  I wasn't lying when I said I'm a habitual substituter ;)

I had 2 frozen chicken breasts in the freezer, so I decided to halve the recipe.  I didn't want to refreeze the chicken, not sure if you can even do that, but I never do.  So, here goes:

I started with 2 frozen chicken breasts, 1 can of mild enchilada sauce, and half a can of green chiles.  I put the other half a can in the freezer in a snack baggie, labeled with the date, so I can throw it in some soup or chili later on.  Since the chicken was frozen, I cooked it on high for 2 hours then low for 4 hours.  The chicken was falling apart when I pulled it out to shred it.

I had already dumped a whole can of beans in before I remembered that I was halving the recipe.  But it worked out.  It made for some extra chicken and beans that I plan on using in quesadillas for a quick lunch on Saturday.  {My thoughts: Put leftover chicken, bean, and sauce mixture with some cheese and salsa on a tortilla.  Fold to make a quesadilla.  Heat in skillet until warm, browned, and cheese is melted.}

Now, I had to read and reread the part about reserving the liquids.  Maybe it was just my mommy brain, but I could not for the life of me figure out what to do with halving it.  I fiiiiiiiiiiinally figured out what it all meant.  Here's what I did:
1.  Put a ladle full of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish (enough for a light layer).
2.  Put a ladle or two of sauce in with the chicken and beans (just enough to make it saucy).
3.  Pour the rest of the liquid over top of the finished enchiladas.
Why they had to make that sooooooo difficult, I don't know.

Then I added some cheese to the top.  I just had regular cheddar shredded.  I wrapped it in foil, and baked it per directions.

Served with a side salad with cucumber, onion, and apple chunks - it made a delicious meal!

The verdict:
I thought it was a little plain.  But I like stuff spicy.  If you're not into spice, this would be the recipe for you.  Next time, I might use the medium enchilada sauce.  I might, also, add some onion while the chicken's cooking in the crockpot or add some in the mixture before I make the enchilada rolls.  The recipe in the book also suggests you can add in rice, corn, and/or refried beans.  Lots of variations possible.  This is a definite keeper with a little bit of revision!