If you're looking for a way to use up leftover chicken or need a dish to feed a crowd, consider enchiladas.
Basically, you start with a tortilla that has been softened with homemade warm chile sauce (made with dried chiles) to make it pliable. Then you fill it and bake it. When making enchiladas, what's important is softening the corn tortillas. Do this by placing several on a plate. Cover them with a paper towel and plastic wrap, and microwave them for 45 to 60 seconds. Once warmed, brush them with some of the heated sauce, top with the filling and then roll them up for baking.
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Nonstick cooking spray
2 (10-ounce) cans enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red or green bell pepper (or mix of both)
3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
1 tablespoon favorite chile powder or to taste
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream, plus more for serving
2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese, divided use
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided use
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Pico de gallo, optional
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a saucepan, heat the enchilada sauce over medium-low heat. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Keep the remaining sauce warm.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and saute until softened. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked chicken and chile powder.
Stir in the soup, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 1/4 cups cheese and 1/4 cup cilantro.
Working in batches, place several corn tortillas on a plate and warm for 45 seconds in the microwave.
Place one tortilla in the bottom of the baking dish and brush both sides with some of the warm sauce. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla and roll up. Position it seam-side down in the dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, nestling them together.
Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Cook time: 40 minutes. Serve with pico de gallo and sour cream, if desired.
Makes 18 enchiladas.
Nutrition information: Each enchilada contains approximately 175 calories, 13 g protein, 6 g fat, 16 g carbohydrate, 415 mg sodium, 31 mg cholesterol and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate count: 1.
Food on 07/22/2015