Easy Weeknight Meal: Chicken Enchiladas

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.  

~ Steven Wright

I admit that these might not pass as enchiladas in Mexico, or even Texas for that matter.  But in Connecticut they are saucy-cheesy, lick your plate, bad-ass enchiladas.  My daughter and her friends have been known to raid the fridge late at night and eat the leftovers cold.  I came up with this recipe one day based on what I had in the house, and it stuck.  Now we have them every couple of weeks and I've even made them for company (who then asked for the recipe).   You start with a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, which makes them REALLY easy.  It only takes a few minutes to throw together the filling, and half an hour later, dinner is served!

Chicken Enchiladas

1 large (or two small) fully cooked rotisserie chickens, cooled (need at least 3 cups of chicken)

1 cup sour cream

1 10 ounce brick of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I use Vermont cheddar)

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

4 8 inch flour tortillas

1 (1 ounce) package low-sodium taco seasoning

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 (10 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

Garnishes (all optional):

Red salsa

Salsa verde

Sour cream

Scallions, sliced

Iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

Black olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Don a pair of dish-washing gloves and dismantle the rotisserie chicken, removing skin, getting as much meat as you can from it.  Chop chicken meat into 1 inch pieces; place in a large non-stick skillet.  Shred the cheddar cheese and place half of it in the skillet with the chicken.

Add sour cream, cream cheese and tomato sauce to the skillet as well.

Cook on medium high until all ingredients are combined and the cheese is melted.  Stir in taco seasoning.

Butter a 9x9 or 10x10 inch baking dish.  Place one tortilla in the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle a stripe of black beans in a line down the center, spoon on chicken filling and roll up tortilla and tuck against the side of the dish, with the seam to the side or down.  Make next enchilada and repeat steps until they are all filled.  Pour enchilada sauce over and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is starting to brown.  Serves 4.

This recipe is easily doubled, for use in a 13x9 inch pan (to serve 8), by adding extra chicken at the beginning and stretching it to fill 8 tortillas instead of 4.  Then just pour 2 cans of enchilada sauce over instead of one.  Viola! It's that easy.