Our Family’s Favorite Chicken Enchiladas

Jun 1, 2011 by desiringvirtue

I love to cook yummy things. That should go without saying right? If you are going to take the time to cook something, it better be yummy. Sometimes I go overboard on the yummy factor and slip into the overindulgent… if you know what I mean.

Trying to cook healthier and still maintain a certain level of deliciousness can be quite the endeavor (in my opinion anyway). That is why I am very grateful for America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. There are so many recipes in this cook book that are full of yummy & good-for-you ingredients. One of the first recipes I experimented with was this chicken enchilada recipe. My husband is a HUGE Mexican food fan, so I knew that it would be a blessing to him if I could find a recipe that was both healthy and delicious. These enchiladas did not disappoint. They are full of bold flavor and low in calories. We love this recipe so much that it is almost a weekly dinner at our house. So, without further ado, here is our family’s favorite chicken enchiladas!

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 3), trimmed, pounded if necessary
• salt and pepper
• 2 1/2 cups green enchilada sauce
• 1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese (we use feta–surprisingly AMAZING!)
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6 inch) soft corn tortillas
• Vegetable oil spray
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Lime wedges (for serving)

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Combine the chicken and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, 10 to 15 minutes. When the sauce is simmering, flip the chicken over, cover, and continue to cook until the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plact and shred it into bite-sised pieces when cook enough to handle. Combine the chicken, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, queso fresco, chiles, and cilantro in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover to keep warm while heating the tortillas.
4. Lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with vegetable oils pray. Place 6 tortillas onto a baking sheet and bake until the tortillas are soft and pliable, 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Working quickly while the tortillas are still warm and pliable, spread them out over a clean counter. Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla around the filling and lay them, seam-side down, in a 13 by 9-inch backing dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
6. Pour 1 cup more sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the cheddar. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer. Serve, passing the remaining sauce and lime wedges separately.

Nutritional Facts:

Makes 6 (2 enchiladas each) servings.

Per serving: Cal 430; Fat 18g; Sat Fat 8g; Chol 80mg; Carb 39g; Protein 28g; Fiber 5g; Sodium 740mg

My Notes:

You can make these enchiladas up to 2 days ahead of time. Just follow the steps through step 5 and then top them when you are ready to cook. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray and then add the sauce and cheese and stick them in the oven. Heat through for 20 minutes rather than 10.

I have used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but have also used left over chicken from cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot. Either is great!

Happy & Healthy Eating Everyone!

Photo Credit: My Recipes

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