Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Remember that gorgeous, sumptuous, too-simple-too-be-true Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken I shared on Tuesday? Well, ever since that post I've had Mexican on my mind. So today, I'm sharing my favorite recipe for chicken enchiladas. Tender, meaty, and enrobed in cilantro-studded, homemade enchilada sauce with a generous topping of golden cheese, these enchiladas are a real weeknight treat.

Can I share a secret? I love enchiladas. I mean, love them. I know I talk a lot about innovation in the kitchen and trying different foods, but it's pretty much a guarantee that I'll order some sort of enchilada every time we got out for Mexican food. I always promise myself I'll try something different...and then before I know it, I'm cutting into a tender, cheese-drenched enchilada - and loving every moment of it.

Oh, look at that cheese.......

I'm not really sure where this preference came from. I didn't grow up eating Mexican food, except for the very occasional Old El Paso Taco Kit (you can imagine those were pretty hard to come by during my childhood in England!), and it wasn't until college that I had my first taste of Tex-Mex. I still remember my first fish taco, but my first enchilada was the real revelation.

I'll be the first to admit that the enchiladas I make aren't exactly like the restaurant versions: for one thing, I don't add chiles (because I don't really like them), and my sauce is quite different. Despite all this, I find them wonderfully delicious. They're an indulgent meal - creamy and rich, but with a hearty helping of slightly-spicy chicken and the healthful savor of tomatoes. This dish comes with its own recipe for cooking the chicken, but you could certainly substitute my favorite Slow-Cooker Mexican Chicken - and using the crock pot would make this meal even easier to whip up during the week!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
makes 6-8 large tortillas
For the sauce:
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro (or 1/2 Tablespoon dry cilantro)

For the filling:
2 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
1 can stewed diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 oz. colby jack or cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. In a small saucepan, mix together the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and cilantro. Heat over low heat until warmed through. Cover and set aside.

In a frying pan over medium heat, cook onions until translucent. Add chicken and and tomatoes and cook until well heated.

Warm the tortillas until soft and flexible. Divide the filling into 6 or 8 roughly equal portions, and fill each tortilla with a portion of filling and 1-2 tablespoons of cheese. Roll tightly and place in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Pour the sauce generously over the filled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until enchiladas are hot and cheese is golden and bubbly.

A few notes: This recipe makes a lot of sauce so you can save some to top fajitas or tacos later in the week. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to six days. Also, If you like a bit of kick to your Mexican-inspired foods, feel free to add some chiles to the chicken mixture. A squirt or two of lime juice wouldn't go amiss, either. Finally, I made my enchiladas with whole-grain, low-carb tortillas from La Tortilla Factory and they were amazing - I can't recommend them enough, even if you aren't watching your weight! If you like the texture of corn tortillas, you'll love these.

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