{recipe} Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

There are few things I like more than GOOD, spicy Mexican food. My roommate and I had black beans, an avocado, salsa, and some cilantro sitting around so we figured that it was a good enough start to a delicious Mexican meal! These enchiladas were easy to make and hit the spot. All we needed was a margarita!

{Recipe adapted from A Sweet Pea Chef}

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ large sweet yellow onion, chopped

2 10oz. cans enchilada sauce (I used medium)

salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided

About 10 6-inch corn tortillas

(I had enough filling for 8 chicken enchiladas. I used the remaining space in my pan for two cheese enchiladas.)

cooking spray

Tabasco (optional)

low-fat sour cream (optional)

I served the enchiladas with black beans and yellow rice (the easy way!) & semi-homemade guacamole (fresh avocado mixed with Newman's Own mango salsa. My roommate added some hot Mexican chili powder, red pepper flakes, and Tabasco to the guac also. We like things spicy around here!

Directions

Add the garlic and onion to the enchilada sauce in a deep skillet and heat to boiling. Add some hot sauce if you'd like. Generously sprinkle kosher salt and ground black pepper over the chicken breasts and then nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Shred the chicken. Click here for a how-to! Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup each of the Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses and the 1/2 cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.

Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds until pliable and warm. Using cooking spray (if desired), oil a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. 

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture along the center of the tortilla. Gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray (or brush lightly with olive oil). This will help the tortillas turn golden in the oven and will also help keep them from cracking. Place baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden.

At this point, we started cooking the black beans and yellow rice! Our rice had to cook for about 20 minutes and we kept the beans on a low simmer.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Lightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil after 20 minutes and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Remove from the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Feel free to add a dollop of sour cream and serve immediately with the black beans and yellow rice!

Click Read More below for the recipe without photos.

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ large sweet yellow onion, chopped

2 10oz. cans enchilada sauce (I used medium)

salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided

About 10 6-inch corn tortillas (I had enough filling for 8 chicken enchiladas. I used the remaining space in my pan for two cheese enchiladas.)

cooking spray

Tabasco (optional)

low-fat sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Add the garlic and onion to the enchilada sauce in a deep skillet and heat to boiling. Add some hot sauce if you'd like with the onions and garlic. Generously sprinkle kosher salt and ground black pepper over the chicken breasts and then nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Shred the chicken. Click here for a how-to! Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup each of the Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses and the 1/2 cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.

4. Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds until pliable and warm. Using cooking spray (if desired), oil a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. 

5. Lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray (or brush lightly with olive oil). This will help the tortillas turn golden in the oven and will also help keep them from cracking. Place baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden.

6. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Lightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil after 20 minutes and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

7. Remove from the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

8. Feel free to add a dollop of sour cream and serve immediately with the black beans and yellow rice!