We really love eating Mexican in this household. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, you name it. When they say to a man's heart is through his stomach (or mine for that matter) Frank learned very quickly that I had a knack for creating all things spicy. If you haven't figured out by now, most of the recipes I like to create are simple and versatile. These can be made with nearly any vegetable, made entirely vegan if that's what you choose, and can be also filled with leftovers. They're just the right amount of heat, packed with veggies, with melty cheese on top, how could you go wrong?
Today I happened to be home from work and quickly baked some chicken. I seasoned very lightly with salt and pepper and baked for about 20 minutes. When cooled, I shredded and kept in the fridge until I was ready to assemble. Putting these together can be really quick, depending no what you like on the inside. I prepped these mid-afternoon so that by the time we were hungry, it was just a quick 20 minutes in the oven and dinner was ready. In today's version, I filled the enchiladas with the chicken, corn, spinach and kidney beans. Other fillings I've used have been black beans, cannellini beans, kale, sauteed peppers and onions, etc.
On wheat flour tortillas, layer your filling ingredients and top with a little cheese. I keep it pretty easy and use a pre-shredded Mexican blend. If I have it on hand, I like to use queso as well. Don't forget to pre-heat your oven to about 350 degrees, so long as you're ready to eat. Roll up each enchilada and layer in a greased 8x10 pan. I posted on my instagram earlier today, work smarter not harder, if you know you want to take leftovers to work the next day, why not cook two of them in a small Pyrex pan? I have two that I use for lunch sized portions, and I prepped two enchiladas right in it for Frank. No fuss, no muss, and his lunch is ready as soon as its cooked. Once you've rolled and filled the pan, its time to pour on your sauce. If I have the time, I'll make a green chili sauce - but I was lucky this week I found a can at Aldi's in their Mexican section. I like green chili sauces better than red for a few reasons, but mostly the flavor profile tastes so different. I do not add any seasonings to it, especially salt, as many of the pre-made ones already have enough salt content. That being said, if I add anything it's more heat like paprika or cayenne.
Once these are rolled and in the pan, I bake them at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. I often will also toss it under the broiler for about 5 minutes because I like when the cheese gets nice and bubbly and browned. When you can stick a knife cleanly through the tortilla than you know its ready. These are great to make ahead of time as well and keep in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook. Lots of options with this one if you haven't figured it out already. (So get cooking already!)
green chili chicken enchiladas
Prep Time: 15 minutes (longer if you have to cook your chicken)
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound cooked and shredded chicken
8-10 wheat tortillas
1-2 cups spinach
1/2 cup corn
3/4 cup kidney beans
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup green chili enchilada sauce
Directions
If you don't have cooked chicken on hand, prep some, let cool and shred. Set aside until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8x10 glass pan, and begin to roll enchiladas. Layer beans, cheese, corn, spinach and chicken and roll tightly. Fill pan.
Pour enchilada sauce all over to cover completely.
Sprinkle cheese evenly all over.
Bake for 20-30 minutes and broil for 5 minutes if you desire browned and bubbly cheese.
Let cool for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.
xx
Rita