Weeknight Dinner: Dreamy White Knight Enchiladas

I am always looking for new recipes to try for dinner. For this fantastic Monday night, I thought it was time to spice things up. I adapted this recipe from SkinnyTaste.com (Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas). These are so tasty you're going to want to eat all seven (I could only eat one and a half, though, so my skinny jeans thanked me for not going overboard. You're welcome, skinny jeans.). 

Sidenote: When Mr. G and I first started dating he told me he didn't like beans (OR Velveeta, or seafood, or mushrooms, or onions … the list went on and on). His mother let me in on a little secret that he actually does like some of those things but just likes to be difficult. So she said just to slip in the ingredients in secret, and he'd never know the difference. Two years later, I've discovered the only item on the list he doesn't like are mushrooms… So, voila! These perfectly dreamy chicken enchiladas were going to be right up our alley.

 

What You'll Need:
For the Chicken:

• 1 lb of boneless chicken tenders (uncooked)
• 1 package of taco seasoning (any brand is fine!)
• 1 jar of salsa 

For the Filling:

• The chicken that you cook (above), shredded (it should fall apart in the crock pot any way)
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1/4 cup white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced
• 1 can of chopped green chiles 
• 15.5 oz can Great Northern White Beans (aka, Cannellini beans)
• 1/3 can of water (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 chicken bullion
• 1 tsp cumin

For the Dreamy Enchilada Sauce:

• 1 tsp unsalted, light butter
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth (we love Swanson's Natural Goodness the best)
• 2 4.5 oz cans chopped green chile
• 2 fresh jalapenos, chopped 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese (not going to lie, if you're feeling cheesy, use the whole bag)
• 7-8 tortillas, soft taco size (burrito-friendly)
• Handful of chopped cilantro
• Handful of chopped scallions (green onions) 

To start, before you leave for work in the morning, put about a pound of chicken in the crock pot. (I used chicken tenders because they are easy to shred!). Then, add in a small jar of salsa and a package of taco seasoning. Cook that baby on low for the next six hours, and let it cool (I have the Food Network Crock Pot that times your cooking, but if you don't have a timer, that's ok. If it cooks a bit longer than six hours, it shouldn't be a problem).

Then, when you get home from work, you'll enter an apartment/house/whereever you dwell full of spicy, tomatoey goodness, and you'll be ready to eat. You've got about an hour to go, so maybe snack on some tortilla chips and salsa (that's what Mr. G did) to hold you over.

Now, let's make some enchildas:
First, preheat your oven to 375. Find a medium pan that has a lid with it. Heat the olive oil on low.  Add onions and garlic, and let them sweat for about 2-3 minutes until they become slightly translucent. Add green chiles, beans (drain them first!), water, bullion and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on medium-low for about 15 minutes. Take the shredded chicken out of the sauce from the crock pot, and fill up 1-cup's worth of chicken. Remove the cover from your pan, and add the chicken. Cook this until it thickens and the liquid boils down (minding not to burn it. I cooked this on low for about 10 minutes). 

In the meantime, in a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, stirring occasionally until the onion looks slightly translucent. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Then, slowly whisk in chicken broth until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium-low heat until the sauce boils and thickens (about 5-6 minutes). Add green chiles, jalapenos and salt. Cook for about 2-3 minutes to soften the peppers, and then remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream. 

Spread 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of your 9X13" baking dish. Fill the first tortilla with about two scoops (1/3 cup) of the chicken and bean filling. Then, roll the tortilla and place it seam side down onto your baking dish. Repeat until all your tortillas are in the pan (we made 7 enchiladas). Then, pour the white sauce over your enchiladas. Top with cheese. Bake in the oven, covered with aluminum foil, about 23-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let it set in the pan for about 5-6 minutes. Then, sprinkle the cilantro and the green onions on the top. Serve, and of course… ENJOY the creamy, cheesy goodness that has been bestowed upon you. White Knight Enchiladas to the rescue, friends! 

Some friendly notes to consider:

If you haven't already, you should definitely invest in the Reynold's Nonstick Aluminum Foil Wrap. It is the best. Seriously. One side is non-stick, so it won't catch the cheese on the top of your enchiladas. Yes. Please.

Also, if you plan to eat these while watching Biggest Loser, just remind yourself that two enchiladas, according to SkinnyTaste, is only about 10 points! Phew! Won't have to get on the treadmill while watching TV tonight!