Low-Fat Green Chile & Chicken Enchiladas

We love Latin American food.  Seriously, it's almost inappropriate.  We eat various cuisines from south of the border 3-4 times a week.....for dinner.  Throw breakfast and lunch in there, and woah buddy.  Generally, we head for the super spiced foods such as jalapenos, chorizo and picamas (a Guatemalan hot sauce.....so good!)  But we also love green chiles.  They have less heat and a great flavor that is all their own.

I prefer to eat green chilis with chicken as I find their flavors work well together.  And anything in a burrito is wonderful.  Hence, green chile & chicken enchiladas!  

Generally, there are two types of recipes out there: creamy or salsa verde.  I love both, so decided to create my own lil' creamy verde creation.  I nixed the white sauce base completely to cut calories and fat, and found that the flavor from the pepper jack cheese, sour cream and green chiles was more than enough.  Fat free sour cream is great in this recipe....you can't even tell it's not the fat stuff!

I really recommend poaching your own chicken breast for this recipe.  It made for much moister chicken enchiladas than grilled chicken would have.  It also lets the taste of the chiles shine through a bit more.

Warning ladies: My husband liked this dish so much, he said it might be his new favorite.  WOAH!  Husband approved.  He took the leftovers to school the next day and was the envy of his med class.

Low-Fat Green Chile & Chicken Enchiladas

• 2 1/2 c diced chicken breast, poached
• 1 6 oz can green chiles (or make them from scratch!)
• 1/2 c onion, diced
• 1 tbs garlic
• 2/3 c fat free sour cream
• 1 1/4 c pepper jack, divided (or whatever cheese you like) 
• 6 small corn or flour tortillas (we like La Tortilla Factory)
• 7-14 oz salsa verde, homemade or store bought
• cayenne, to taste

Rub chicken breasts with cayenne and place in the bottom of a medium pot.  Cover with water and place over high heat.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Turn off the burner and cover the pot.  Let you chicken breasts hang out for another 10-15 minutes until completely cooked through.  

While your chicken is finishing, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium-sized pan, cook your onions over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add your green chiles.  Stir to combine and remove from heat, so that your garlic doesn't burn.  

Remove your chicken from the hot water and allow to cool slightly.  While it is cooling, combine sour cream, 3/4 c pepper jack cheese and the green chile mixture in a medium bowl.  Then either shred or dice your chicken breast and add to your sour cream, cheese and green chile mixture.  Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or to taste (we used a wee bit more).  Stir well to combine, and you have your filling, voila!

If you are using corn tortillas, warm them in the microwave for easier rolling.  Place the tortillas between two damp (not wet!) paper towels on a plate and microwave for 30 seconds.  If you are using flour tortillas, you can skip this step completely.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick and pour some salsa verde on the bottom, just enough to cover the bottom completely (1/2 - 1 cup depending on the size of your dish).  Dividing your filling evenly among the tortillas (ours was about 1/2 cup per tortilla), roll and place seam-side down in your baking dish.  Cover with more salsa verde to your saucy preference.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup pepper jack (or more if you want extra cheesy!) and a little cayenne (it looks so pretty).

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.  Then turn on your broiler and cook for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.  Serve immediately.  We ate them over spinach, but you could just eat them plain or with a side of black beans and rice.  Delicioso!