creamy green chili chicken enchiladas

Holy cow! More enchiladas! These ones are amazingly fantastic. I really love green enchilada sauce (like to the point that I could just eat it with a spoon), but combining it with a béchamel… oh, my gosh. So delicious! And the chicken/green chili/cream cheese filling is out of this world. This recipe is also a perfect example of how you can start with a delicious recipe, and add a few tweaks to make it healthier. I added a bunch of spinach, used only about half of the cream cheese/cheese, left out the sour cream in the sauce, and used corn tortillas instead of flour. And guess what? They were still an incredibly delicious meal!

Another great thing about this recipe is that it freezes wonderfully! I actually doubled the recipe and got three pans of 6 enchiladas each, and put two of them in the freezer for another day. I can’t wait to dig them out and enjoy the cheesy goodness all over again!

Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

filling:
4 cups fresh spinach
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces green chilies
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounces) green enchilada sauce

assembly:
1 cup shredded cheese (jack, cheddar, colby, etc.)
8 large corn tortillas, warmed and softened

Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of water. Add the spinach, cover, and let steam until spinach has wilted (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat, drain, and chop. In a medium bowl, mix together chicken, cream cheese, green chilies, spinach, and white beans. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until softened. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms, and cook 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth and milk, and whisk quickly to incorporate the flour mixture. Let cook a few minutes, until thickened, then remove from heat. Whisk in enchilada sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, spread a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. When all enchiladas have been rolled, top with remaining enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes or the cheese is melted, and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.