BAKED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Baked Chicken Enchiladas image

Been craving Mexican lately...but have also been craving lasagna at the same time. So I was thinking, what is Mexican but also satisfies that baked cheesy craving? I went with Enchiladas this week. Simply, here's how I make my Chicken Enchiladas.

Provided by Maggie May Schill

Time 2h30m

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

4 fresh ripe tomatoes, cubed
5 clove garlic, crushed
1 jalapeno peppers, sliced and seeded
1 red bell pepper, sliced and seeded
1 large red onion, minced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 lb chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 c flour
4 8 inch, flour tortillas
1/2 c sour cream
1 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c quesodilla cheese, grated
1/2 c monterey jack cheese, grated
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp chilli powder
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp celery salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 c cooked black beans

Steps:

1. For Enchilada Sauce: 1-In a large sauce pan, heat your oil to smoking temperature. 2-Set pan to medium heat. Add your garlic to the pan and let them sweat. immediately add 1/2 your diced red onion. (set rest of onion aside for later.) Cook until translucent. 3-Add your cubed tomatoes to the pan, along with a pinch of salt to draw the liquids from the tomatoes. Stir for half a minute then add your red pepper and jalapeno. 4-Cover pan and set to medium-low heat and let cook for 2 hours. 5-Uncover pan after 2 hours and blend the sauce smooth with an immersion blender. Or transfer to a standard blender and blend until smooth. (You can also forgo blending altogether if you prefer a chunky Enchilada sauce.) 6-Set heat back to medium. 7-Stir in cumin, cayenne, chilli powder and celery salt. Stir. 8-Add salt and pepper to taste. 9-Allow to cook for another 10 minutes uncovered on the medium heat. 10-Stir in cilantro. 11-Set sauce aside.
2. For Filling: 1-Heat your salted butter in a large frying pan. 2-Pound your chicken breast flat and dredge in flour. 3-Once butter is hot, fry your chicken until cooked through. 4-Remove chicken from heat and let cool at room temperature. (Never cool chicken in the fridge!!!) 5-Scrape your frying pan and add the rest of your red onions to the pan. 6-Cook until tender, then add your pre-cooked black beans and heat through. Set aside. 7-In a large mixing bowl, shred your chicken. 8- add your sour cream and 3/4 of your cheeses to the bowl. 9-Add your onion and black bean mixture to the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix everything together.
3. Assembly: 1-Pre-heat oven to 375'F 2-In a 9X9 casserole dish, spread 1 1/2 cups of your sauce to coat bottom of pan. 3-Lay your tortillas out on a clean counter or cutting board. 4-Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling on each tortilla. 5-Roll tortillas to seal in filing. 6-Lay rolled tortillas in your pan on top of your sauce. 7-Pour 2-3 cups of your sauce over the tortillas. 8-Spread the rest of your cheese on top.( I also like to add any extra black beans to the topping, because black beans are awesome in my opinion. The more the better!) 9-Bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly!!! 10-Let cool for 10 minutes before serving ( Add cilantro to finished dish if you want a little extra crunch and fresh flavor.)