Thursday, January 13, 2011

Chicken & Pinto, Green & Red Enchiladas, take one.

Here is an easy dish that will fill you up, is tasty and relatively healthy* to boot!
I came up with this recipe my usual way. First, I decided that I wanted to make chicken enchiladas, but didn't really have any kind of go-to recipe.  So I searched my regular on-line sources, and found that there seems to be no real "standard" recipe.  So I looked through the cabinet to see what cans I had there, and I looked at the cans in my closest Italian themed supermarket to see what was offered in the limited Mexican section available to me.
I ended up with the following ingredient list:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound, 2 ounces in my case)
1 can Pinto Beans, drained
1 can Mild green enchilada sauce
1 can Mild red enchilada sauce
1 can diced tomatoes and chilies (Like Rotel)
1 large yellow onion (about 1 cup chopped)
2 cloves garlic (about 2 Tbsp chopped)
1 Long Hot (or whatever) Pepper (You could use a small can of chopped green chilies)
1 Tbsp taco or enchilada seasoning (I used a nice sprinkle each of Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Pepper)
5 or 6 large whole wheat tortillas (you could use corn and be authentic, I prefer wheat.)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

Start by poaching (somewhere between a simmer and a full boil, it keeps the chicken tender) the chicken breasts for 15 minutes or so, until fully cooked.
Pull the meat apart with two forks, shredding completely.  Set aside chicken.
While the chicken is boiling, start on the rest of the filling.  Chop your onion fine, and saute with a a bit of cooking spray in a large pan.

Remove the seeds and pith (the white stuff) from the pepper and cut into thin strips

Chop the pepper, and add to the cooking onions
Peel, smash and mince the garlic and add that as well.
You may need another shot of cooking spray.
Then add the tomatoes and chilies...
...pintos and mild green enchilada sauce.
Bring to a low boil, then simmer for a little while, until it thickens slightly...
Then add the chicken and mix well.  When it comes back up to temp, remove from heat.
We are now ready for assembly.
Spray the inside of a large casserole with cooking spray...
and stage your mixture and tortillas next to the casserole

Spoon a nice amount of the mixture into tortillas, then pick up by the dry ends, and roll in the casserole, keeping the seam underneath...
...till you are done.  Hopefully you will run out of mixture and tortillas at the same time.  I ran out of mixture with one tortilla remaining... oh well.
Pour the red enchilada sauce on top, spreading evenly, and sprinkle the cup of shredded cheese, also evenly.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so, until all bubbly and melty.  Serve with a salad or Mexican rice.
*Here is the breakdown for each enchilada, courtesy of nutritiondata.com's recipe analyzer.  Hey, I said it was RELATIVELY healthy! The canned ingredients really REALLY jack up the sodium count, and the beans and tortillas jack up the carbs, but HEY, they ARE enchiladas!  On the good side, there is a whole lot of protein. One enchilada per serving, as made, is quite filling, and it is VERY tasty and satisfying!  As sodium is on my "bad" list, I will be looking for a better way to cook these next time.  I'll let y'all know when I do!

1 comment:

  1. I am totally checking out the recipe analyzer. Also, if you rinse your beans well that will alleviate some of the sodium. Or, if you are so inclined soak dried beans the night before and cook them up yourself :)

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