Friday, June 1, 2012

Healthier Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas


Sometimes having a boring life means there's really not much to blog about. Hence, my radio silence for the last couple of weeks. Thems the breaks, yo.

This afternoon, I set out to make my chicken & spinach enchiladas when it struck me. "Why don't I make a recipe post about this?" Unfortunately, I had already started my process before I realized I'd be making a post. Luckily, it's all pretty self-explanatory.

The way I make this, it's more of a casserole. Traditionally, corn tortillas are flash-fried in oil to make them more pliable before they're stuffed and rolled. Not only is it healthier by omitting the oil, it's faster this way, too! Another way it's healthier is the spinach (you don't say?). It allows for a much smaller quantity of cheese to be used. You won't even know it's not there!

Recipe:

1 pkg corn tortillas 
1 28 oz. can enchilada sauce (I always use salsa verde)
7-10 cups fresh spinach (you can use frozen, or omit it all together. I use the big package of organic spinach from Costco. It's inexpensive.)
1 8oz pkg shredded cheese (2 cups)
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cups shredded chicken (I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken for something quick)

First, I add the olive oil and onions into a hot pan. After about a minute, I add the cumin. Stirring frequently, I'll let the onions sweat for another minute or two before adding in the spinach. I know it's going to seem like a ton of spinach, but it wilts down to almost nothing. I fold the spinach for about a minute, and then I add the shredded chicken to infuse everything with the oniony, cuminy goodness. It should look like this:


You've now completed the hardest part. No. Really!

Next, pour a little of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of your baking dish. Layer your tortillas, and add a little more of the sauce. Decide how many layers of tortillas you'll want, and then divide your cheese, and chicken & spinach mixture accordingly.


It'll go like this:

1.) tortillas
2.) enchilada sauce
3.) chicken & spinach mixture
4.) sprinkle of cheese
5.) repeat

When you reach the top layer, pour a more generous amount of sauce on top, and then add the remainder of the cheese. You may or may not have some sauce left over. It's good either way.

I baked this at 425 degrees for 12 minutes, and then at 375 for 8 more minutes. Then, I broiled the top because I love golden brown cheese.

Let it cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy! This re-heats very well, and is great for leftovers.

Serves 8


4 comments:

  1. This looks awesome! And easy. I'm totally going to try it with my kids, I bet they'll like it.
    Thanks!

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  2. Yum! I have a go-to enchilada recipe, but I like the salsa verde spin on these. nom

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    Replies
    1. I ALWAYS have verde sauce, it's my favorite. I can't even remember the last time I've had a red enchilada sauce.

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