Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Terry has been craving my Mexican Rice and I am always craving his guacamole, so I needed to find a great main dish as a vehicle for our favorite sides. I was originally going to make the Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas that are always a hit, but then I remembered the recipe that my best friend Christy had made for me over the summer. She prepared Cooking Light’s Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde, and they knocked my socks off! They were creamy and rich, due to the addition of light cream cheese. I decided to see if I could replicate my friend’s dish, she is an excellent cook and I was excited to see how my version would turn out.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Julianna Grimes Bottcher, Cooking Light, APRIL 2006

“A squeeze of lime juice brightens the flavor of this hearty Mexican dish. The enchiladas are mild, so serve with hot sauce, if desired. If you can't find queso fresco, use 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Monterey Jack with jalapeño peppers. Total time: 45 minutes.”

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (7-ounce) bottle salsa verde (such as Herdez brand)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled queso fresco
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 lime wedges
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Combine chicken and cream cheese in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa mixture. Reserve remaining salsa mixture.

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium skillet. Working with one tortilla at a time, add tortilla to pan; cook 20 seconds or until moist, turning once. Remove tortilla; drain on paper towels. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla; roll up. Place tortilla, seam-side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, broth, and chicken mixture.

Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas; sprinkle evenly with queso fresco and chili powder. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with lime wedges. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Servings: 4

Nutritional Information

Calories:327 (26% from fat)

Fat:9.5g (sat 4.4g,mono 2.9g,poly 1.3g)

Protein:28.5g

Carbohydrate:31g

Fiber:3.3g

Cholesterol:78mg

Iron:1.8mg

Sodium:493mg

Calcium:149mg

Yum, yum, YUM!! I really enjoyed these Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. I have been experimenting lately with making a lot of my own sauces; this was unnecessary in this case because the addition of the cilantro to the bottled salsa verde took it to another level. After mixing the cream cheese, salsa and shredded chicken together, Terry couldn’t stop picking at it. The filling is truly flavorful. I was intrigued by the preparation method for the tortillas, never having worked that way before. Dipping each tortilla into warm chicken broth may seem like a tedious task, but it is well worth the trouble. This method caused the tortillas to become pliable and almost sticky, holding tight to the filling, not allowing any of it to drop out during the transfer to the pan. Towards the end of the cooking time my cheese did not brown up in the way that I wanted so I ran it under the broiler for a few minute and it came out exactly as I had hoped. Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde is a definite repeater and will be made often, it is a nice creamy change from my usual enchilada recipe. I would recommend trying this recipe and pairing it with my Mexican Rice, mix yourself up a bowl of guacamole, and if you are like Terry and me, you will be in heaven!

-Heather