Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Yield 4-8

Pillar of Nutrition Lean on Protein

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 ½ cups homemade red enchilada sauce
• ½ small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 can (11-ounce) corn (regular or Mexican style)
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 8-inch corn or flour tortillas
• Topping suggestions: sliced scallions; chopped cilantro, chopped red onion, diced avocado or guacamole, sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Spread ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan and set aside
3. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
4. Grate the cheddar and the Monterey Jack cheeses.
5. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Remove from the heat.
7. Stir in the chicken, ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of the cheddar cheese, ½ cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, the black beans, corn, cumin and chili powder. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
8. Assemble the enchiladas: place ⅛ of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla (if using corn tortillas, warm them first or they will break). Roll up and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
9. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
10. Place the baking dish in the pre-heated oven. Bake, uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the enchiladas are heated through and bubbly, and the edges of the tortillas are a bit crispy.
11. Garnish with desired toppings.

Notes

Variations to Try:

• Omit the chicken for a vegetarian version
• Substitute pinto beans for the black beans
• Add some fresh chopped fresh vegetables, such as zucchini or bell peppers, to the mixture.
• For an extra kick of flavor, add a can of diced green chilis to the chicken mixture

Something to Chew On:

• Enchiladas originated in Mexico, where the practice of rolling tortillas around other food dates back to Mayan times.
• What has more fiber: beans, cheese or meat?
• Do you think corn is sweet or savory or both?

Lean on Protein, Mexican, chicken, cheese, baked, oven