Chicken Enchiladas

"Always walk through life as if you have something new to

learn and you will."

-- Vernon Howard 

Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe from a new publication called Chicken Dinners 2012 (found at grocery stores/bookstores until May 1) serves 6 made some adaptations

Cook’s notes:

• The recipe called for using either flour or corn tortillas. I used corn because after some reading found that corn tortillas are considered more authentic for enchiladas. I warmed tortillas in microwave 20 seconds on high covered with paper towels rather than frying to make them softer for handling and to keep fat count down. Keep covered while working so they do not dry out
• For a lower calorie count used low fat cream cheese, sour cream and chicken soup.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup silvered almonds
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• ½ green pepper diced and ½ red pepper diced
• 1 can diced green chile peppers
• 1-3 oz. low fat cream cheese
• 2 TB. milk
• ½ tsp. each cumin, chili powder and dried oregano
• 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken used deli rotisserie chicken as a huge time saver
• 8-10 corn tortillas-depends on how much filling you use recipe called for using 1/4 cup filling
• 1-10oz. reduced fat cream of chicken soup
• ½ cup sour cream
• called for 1-cup milk but used green enchilada sauce with chiles( 10 oz. can)  instead of milk and it was great! 
• 2 cups Monterey Jack
• added chopped tomatoes

Directions:

• Toast slivered almonds on cookie sheet 350 for a few minutes and set aside
• Sauté onions, and peppers in 1Tb olive oil remove from heat and add 1 TB. canned chile peppers and rinsed kidney beans
• In a bowl combine softened cream cheese, 2TB. milk, spices, shredded chicken, and onion/pepper/beans mixture, stir till smooth
• In a 3 quart greased baking rectangular dish fill each warmed tortillas and place seam side down in dish used ¼ cup of enchilada sauce on bottom before adding finished rolled tortillas
• For sauce combine reserved chile peppers, soup, sour cream and 1 cup milk or the substituted green enchilada sauce pour mixture evenly over tortillas 
• Sprinkle with chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese
• Bake 350 covered for 35 minutes, remove foil- add almonds bake 5 minutes longer
• Let set 10-15 minutes before cutting-serve with side of chopped lettuce, salsa, olives