Enchiladas mean different things to different people. To some, they mean spicy chicken or pork, topped with red chile sauce. To others, they’re tangy green chile sauce with cheese. Still others add sour cream or cream cheese, potatoes, peanuts or almonds. And to purists, enchiladas mean simple tortillas heated on a stove-top one-by-one, dipped in chile sauce, then folded once and topped with cheese and onion.
This Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas recipe means quick, easy and scrumptious. I made them with my new boyfriend and my dad — they’ve cumulatively eaten a lot of enchiladas — and it was agreed these enchiladas were delicious (better the next day and even more so with a fried egg on top for breakfast). And don’t forget flexible! This recipe features chicken, cheddar cheese, tomato salsa and cream cheese, but make a few changes and you can please even your pickiest friends and family members. Just use any variety of salsa or enchilada sauce you like (I used tomato-raspberry-chipotle salsa; the sweet/spicy combination was addictive!) and substitute different cheeses like smoked Gouda, sharp white cheddar or queso fresco. You can also use Greek yogurt or sour cream in place of cream cheese.
Find out what enchiladas mean to you!
Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 cups (12-ounce bottle) chunky salsa, divided
- 1/2 of an 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese
- 8 (7- or 8-inch) soft taco-size fat free or regular flour tortillas
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray large, nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add onion; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.
Add chicken, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup salsa and cream cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheeses are melted as shown above.
SPOON a scant 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in 13 x 9-inch (3-quart rectangular) baking dish as shown above.
Drizzle with remaining salsa. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese (as shown with queso fresco above); cover. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese on top is melted.
I served mine with fresh cilantro (shown above), a dry rosé wine, and a green salad. Salud!
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1½ cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat
- ¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1½ cups (12-ounce bottle) chunky salsa, divided
- ½ of an 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese
- 8 (7- or 8-inch) soft taco-size fat free or regular flour tortillas
- PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray large, nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add onion; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add chicken, ½ cup cheddar cheese, ¾ cup salsa and cream cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheeses are melted as shown above.
- SPOON a scant ⅓ cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in 13 x 9-inch (3-quart rectangular) baking dish as shown above.
- Drizzle with remaining salsa. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese (as shown with queso fresco above); cover. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese on top is melted.