This is inspired be a similar recipe I found in a magazine. One thing which irritates me to no end is when a recipe calls for some sort of cooked item with no instructions on how to cook it. The original recipe does this with the chicken, so I have included my suggested cooking method rather than write "cup of cooked chicken".
When I first read this recipe, I was hesitant to attempt it since I am not a big enchilada fan, due to the soft corn tortillas used. Luckily, I was feeling daring one night and with my recent attempt to eat healthier, figure why not give it a shot - I mean the worst that could happen is it gets tossed in the trash and we end up with Chinese Take Out. Surprisingly, with one bite, I knew this was a keeper!
INGREDIENTS
1 C chopped onion
1/4 C fresh cilantro
2 Garlic cloves
8 oz salsa Verde (can be store bought)
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 C reduced fat cream cheese
Fat-free, low sodium Chicken broth
12 White Corn Tortilla's
Cooking spray
1/4 C crumbled Queso Fresco
Chili Powder
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in oven dish and add some chicken broth (I usually add enough to halfway submerge the chicken, probably about 1 C or so), this helps keep the chicken moist. I also like to season the chicken with any variety of black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and / or onion powder. These you can switch out to your own taste. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Flip the chicken and bake another 20 minutes or until chicken is done. This will obviously differ depending on the size of your chicken breasts. One completely cooked, remove chicken to a bowl and use a fork to shred. Discard remaining chicken broth. Set oven to 425.
Combine onion, cilantro, garlic, and salsa in blender and blend until smooth. In another bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, and half of salsa mixture. Reserve remaining salsa.
Spoon chicken mixture into corn tortilla, using a small enough amount to allow the tortilla to be rolled into a traditional enchilada. Place rolled enchilada seem-side down in a greased baking dish (I use Pam). Continue this process until all the chicken mixture has been used.
Top enchiladas with remaining salsa (I use a spatula to cover the tortilla's completely to prevent any crispy spots). Sprinkle with crumbles queso and top with chili powder.
Bake for about 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated (chicken has already been cooked, so no worries here!). The cheese should be melted and some areas browned.
Serve these enchilada's with refried beans, black beans, spanish rice, chips and salsa or guacamole, or any other wonderful side dish you desire - or even alone. For those who prefer, a Corona with a lime would be perfect!
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Serving size: 2 enchiladas
Calories: 327
Fat: 9.5g
Protein: 28.5g
Carb: 31g
Fiber: 3.3g
Chol: 78mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 493mg
Calc: 149mg
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet has turned into one of our absolute favorite anyday wines. It is an Australian wine, which is wonderful since most of our favorites are also Australian, so that alone would be a reason for us to at least try it. To make it even better, you should be able to find this at just about any store that has a decent selection, basically meaning the corner gas station won't carry it, but any place that carries Shiraz has a good chance. Oh - and to add to the greatness, it runs around $10 or so a bottle, give or a take.
