Some of my favorite "imaginary internet friends," as my husband likes to call them, are lucky to live in Hatch Country. Every August their blogs come alive with pictures of Hatch Chile festivals & dishes. Not living anywhere near the mecca that is Hatch, NM I had to live with the canned imitators. When I learned that my brother in law would be making the drive back from NM this August I gave him explicit orders to procure & transport these magical green chiles across state lines.
Best thing I've made with them thus far?
Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
{adapted into a lighter version from my newly found blog-girl-crush Mel's Kitchen Cafe}
Filing:
3 Cups Cooked Chopped Chicken (I used a grocery grab-and-go rotisserie chicken)
8 oz Canned Green Chile's, lightly drained
8 oz Neufchatel Cheese Block, cubed (subbed in for true Cream Cheese as a lighter option)
1 Can black beans, rinsed & drained
Sauce:
2 Tablespoons of butter
1/2 Medium Vidella Onion, Chopped
Generous handfull of Chopped Fresh Baby Spinach (optional, yet welcomed addition in our house.)
2 Tablespoons of flour
1/3 Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 Cup Skim Milk
1 14 oz Can of Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1/2 Cup Light Sour Cream
Black Pepper to Taste
You'll also need:
2 Cups of Monterey Jack Cheese (I was out & subbed in a little provolone/mozzarella blend, probably 3/4 a cup total. I love cheese as much as the next gal, but I really didn't miss the extra cheese it was so yummy. So, basically I'm saying: Cheese as you wish.)
8 Medium Flour Tortillas
Chopped Cilantro, if that's your thing (It's not mine. But the green would have looked pretty for sure.)
The Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 375.
2. Combine the cream cheese & chiles in a medium bowl. If the cream cheese is room temperature, this process is much easier. Then add the chicken & black beans, stir to combine. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. (Don't burn your onions!) (Sauté spinach with the onions halfway through the translucency process, if that's your thing.) Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. Cook for about a minute while constantly stirring, until the onions & flour are really gummy. Slowly mix in the chicken broth & milk (I put them in one measuring cup for ease.) The mixture should start to get smooth & creamy in appearance. Cook over medium heat until smooth & bubbling.
4. Remove skillet from heat, & stir in the enchilada sauce & sour cream.
5. Grease a 9x13 baking dish & place a thin layer of the creamy sauce on the bottom. Fill each tortilla with about a 1/2 cup of filling in the center, roll & place seam side down in your dish. Cover the top with creamy sauce.
6. Top with as much or as little cheese as your heart desires. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown & bubbly.
1 comment:
I look forward to trying this! Yum.
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