Friday, September 9, 2011

Chicken & White Bean Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

Confession: I've never made Enchiladas before. In fact, I'd have to say fajitas are the most "Mexican" food I've ever tried to make. But that was part of the reason I decided to do this cooking challenge, right? To expand and push my skill level and comfort zone. And let me tell you, as easy as these were to make - I've never had better enchiladas before!! I don't usually like a ton of cheese and greasy sauce, so enchiladas that were heavy on both never appealed to me. Plus - I don't like refried beans. Never have. They are against nature- yuck!

But this recipe that I found on Skinnytaste.com eliminates all of those barriers for me, and I loved these. My husband now insists we have another permanent addition to the recipe box! I altered the recipe slightly for convenience and to taste - for example, I didn't have any chicken bullion, so I used some plain chicken stock instead; and I eyeballed my use of jarred jalapeno slices since my husband likes it spicy. I also subbed in a can of Great Northern White Beans instead of Navy Beans.

Here's the link to Gina's original recipe: Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce. I've put the one that I used last night, with variations included, below:

Chicken and White Bean Filling:
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup minced white onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
  • 15.5 oz can Great Northern white beans
  • 8 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
  • 1/2 c chicken stock - reduced sodium
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup fat free chicken broth
  • 7 oz can chopped green chile
  • 2 jalapeƱos, chopped (I used jarred - about 10 slices)
  • salt
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
  • 8 medium low carb tortillas
  • chopped fresh cilantro or scallions (or both!) - not having any of this on hand, I didn't use it. But I think it would be delicious!
Preheat oven to 375°.


For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover.Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. I simmered for only 10, then added the chicken, mixed well, sprinkled some salt and pepper, and let simmer for another 10 before removing the cover to reduce. I wanted to the chicken to really get a chance to absorb the flavor. Set aside.




Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. I added about 1/3 c of broth at a time, whisked, then added more. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles, jalepeƱos, and salt to tatse. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.



Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. My sauce was thick, not runny, so it didn't spread without a rubber spatula. I did like this though. With the thicker sauce, it didn't feel like the tortillas would be swimming in it. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas. I had two tortillas left over from a smaller pack that I used so the pictures are little funny. Gina's are beautiful!

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Twenty minutes was enough for mine. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.



1 comment:

  1. Oh wow, that looks and sounds wonderful! I love enchiladas, but ordering out seems so risky given how greasy they tend to be. Will have to check out this recipe sometime!

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