Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

One word: yum! Pic from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

I made this recipe originally last Friday night. But, my husband and I only got a small portion, our kids scarfed the rest. We discovered some long lost movie tickets hidden in the desk. We went to see Pirates of the Carribean 3. It was a nice date, but the cost was a decent portion of dinner. 

So I made them again Monday night for the missionaries. They were well received by the masses. 

I have another recipe called chicken chalupas. That recipe features cream of chicken soup. But the flavor of the chalupas vs. the green chili enchiladas are very distinct. What I enjoy about Mel's kitchen is that she uses very little processed food ingredients. I like the fact that I had to make the cream sauce from scratch than use a can of cream of chicken soup. Not only is it much better for you but it is so much more flavorful!

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Filling:

4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (7 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
2 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 

Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium sized onion chopped
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 28 ounce can green chile enchilada sauce
1 cup sour cream

1 lb. (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe