The words bring to mind images of childhood on those rare occasions when my mom used to cook for us, back when she didn't really care much about processed and fatty foods. It was a treat for me and my sisters when our mom cooked because she'd usually work afternoons/evenings four days a week including every other weekend (she was a nurse, now retired) and we rarely got to see her or spend much time with her as we were growing up. One of the dishes I remember her making most often was chicken enchiladas. Her chicken enchiladas were pretty basic, shredded chicken mixed with olives and sometimes corn, sour cream and mayo, no cream cheese, no chilies, and corn tortillas instead of flour, but they were smothered in cheese and they were delicious.
I randomly decided to make enchiladas for dinner one day when I was bored and wanting something "different" to eat. I scoured Pinterest for "easy" chicken enchilada recipes and combined a few different ones to come up with my own version. Because I decided to cook them last minute, I didn't have any chilies or olives on hand but they still turned out great. James, who usually has some complaint about what I cook (usually that everything I cook is Italian-ish and all tastes the same) said it was the best dish I've ever made. To prove that, he had enchiladas for dinner AND breakfast AND lunch the next day.
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Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients:
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (equal to ~2 cups shredded)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese or neufchatel cheese, softened or 1 cup sour cream
1 small can black olives, diced
1 small can green chilies, diced*
12 10-inch flour tortillas
1 large can enchilada sauce
3 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
2 Tbs olive oil (or as needed)
Directions:
Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, saute chicken in olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Add 1/2-inch water to pan. Cover and simmer for additional 5 minutes. Take off heat and let steam in covered pan for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl and shred. Add cream cheese, diced olives, and diced green chilies and mix until well blended.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a separate skillet, warm tortillas to prevent cracking when rolling. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Spoon mixture into tortillas, roll and place in baking dish, seam side down. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce and top with shredded cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbling. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
**green chilies have very little heat and will add depth and flavor to the dish
--------------------------------------------------------------------To make the dish healthier, neufchatel cheese or 1 cup Greek yogurt can be substituted for the cream cheese and whole wheat tortillas, instead of flour. I would say use less cheese but what's an enchilada if it isn't smothered in cheese??
