Chicken Enchiladas

This is a recipe I got from my friend Hannah (though I have altered it slightly and am giving you the recipe I use).  It is a favorite of ours, so now I am passing it on to you.  The only thing my son loves more than the taste of this dish is the name of it.  He says it with gusto and with extra emphasis on the LADAS.  He says chicken enchi-LADAS! 

Here is what you need:
1 16 oz. can refried beans
1 can cream of chicken
1 cup sour cream
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
3 cups cheddar cheese, divided
12 tortillas
1 16 oz. can enchilada sauce

Here is how you make it:
1.  Mix together the first 4 ingredients plus half of the cheddar cheese (the rest will go on top of the
     enchiladas).  I know, it looks like...well, it just looks gross.  But trust me, it will be delicious!

2.  Pour part of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of two 9 x 13 pans - enough to cover the bottom. 

*Here is an interesting story.  The first time I made this, I over looked a very important word in the directions - the word "two" right before the 9 x 13 pans.  I couldn't figure out why I had to struggle to cram 12 tortillas in a pan just to get them to fit when Hannah had so much room in her pan.  I actually made it about four times before I realized that you are putting 6 enchiladas in two pans, not 12 in one pan.  But, since I know I can fit all 12 in one pan, I still make it that way because I don't want to clean the extra pan nor do I have room in the refrigerator for the extra pan.  So the choice is yours, you can do it however you like.



3.  Fill tortillas with mixture.  Then roll them up and place them seam side down in the pan.

I score the mixture into 6 sections and then divide each section between two tortillas.  This just helps make sure each tortilla has roughly the same amount of filling.

4.  Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Add remaining cheddar cheese during the last few minutes of
     baking.

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There you have it.  This recipe is extremely kid friendly.  My son loves it and I actually fed the filling in the enchiladas to my 9 month old daughter (I steered clear of the sauce as it is slightly spicy).  I think I'm going to pitch the idea to Gerber.  "Introducing Gerber's newest flavor, Chicken Enchilada!"  I could totally see it.

Anyway, I usually make this with fat free beans, sour cream, and tortillas, plus I use the Healthy Request cream of chicken.  I have made it both ways (both full fat and less fat) and the less fat version is just as good, if not better.

Also, I often assemble this dish the night before I plan to eat it.  I just store it in the refrigerator overnight.  Then I pull it from the refrigerator and leave it out on the counter while the oven preheats to take the chill off the dish.  I usually add about 10 minutes to the cooking time if I do it this way.

I will leave you with a recipe that Hannah gave me for Homemade Enchilada Sauce.  I tried it but mine didn't turn out as well as the canned stuff, but maybe you will have better luck.

Here's what you need:

3 Tbsp. Oil

1.5 Tbsp. chili powder

1.5 Tbsp. flour

1.5 cups water

1 tsp. vinegar

.5 tsp. onion powder

.5 tsp. salt

.25 tsp oregano 

Simply mix all ingredients together and you have yourself some homemade enchilada sauce.

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Sincerely,

la Senorita loco por las enchiladas

I'm pretty sure that is not grammatically correct, but since I'm not Spanish I'm hoping you'll give me a pass.  I'm also assuming most of you won't have any idea what I said anyway.  And no, I didn't just say I have a large cat in my pants (it's a movie reference).