Green Chile & Chicken Enchiladas

 

This is the enchilada recipe I mentioned way back when I made Martha Stewart’s Chicken Enchiladas Verdes. Martha’s are good, I just think these are better. It may be the addition of the refried beans that makes me like this recipe more or it could be the fact that these are just a little less work.

The sauce can take a little time to make only because the poblanos need to be roasted. Before we renovated the kitchen and I was still using that awful wall oven from who-knows-when I would put the poblanos under the broiler for a good roasting. Now that I have my glorious gas oven I place to poblanos over a flame on the stove. I enjoy the way charring peppers smell. It gives the house a “I’m cooking something delicious” smell.

It may defeat the purpose of Cook Yourself Thin, but I’ve made two small changes to this recipe. I use the whole can of refried beans. One cup is simply not enough for me to be happy. When I have it on hand, I like to add a little extra cheese. In my world, enchiladas are cheesy. I found myself without chicken one evening but I did have some leftover ground beef. I made the switch and it worked well. Don’t be afraid to try different meats!

I’ve made this recipe quite a few times and I am still confused by the mention of a “shredded chicken mixture” in step three. Maybe I’m glazing over where the chicken is mixed with something, if so please let me know. I just add the chicken as it is.

2 roasted poblano peppers, peeled
1 bunch of cilantro leaves, washed, stems discarded
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 corn tortillas
1 cup canned nonfat refried beans
3 cups of leftover roast chicken, shredded
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese, such as Mexican-style, Monterey Jack or cheddar
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
1 lime, cut into wedges, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Lightly oil a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or 1 teaspoon olive oil. In a food processor or a blender, combine the roasted and peeled peppers, cilantro, garlic, lime zest and juice, chicken stock, salt and pepper, and puree until smooth.

3. Spread 1/3 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of 6 overlapping tortillas. Spread refried beans evenly over the tortillas. Top the beans with the shredded chicken mixture, and add 1/3 of the sauce, followed by the remaining 6 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover with foil.

4. Bake the enchiladas until they begin to bubble on the sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle cheese and scallions on top. Continue baking until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/green-chile-chicken-enchiladas