Chicken White Bean Enchiladas
If I had to survive on only one cuisine for the rest of ever, it would be Mexican. Or maybe Thai. It’s a tossup. They both have one thing in common. Mexican and Thai flavors are both very cohesive and flavorful through the entire dish and have a lot of heat. I don’t mean just the little bit of kick, kind of spicy. I’m talking about the hit ya in the backside kind of spice but not so much that it knocks you over. THAT is what I like. I don’t even know HOW I’m a Minnesota girl, honestly. My roots are all Scandinavian and German (you know the type: those who think ketchup is spicy… and we dance a mean polka). Yet, somehow, I can’t GET enough hot spicy goodness in my life. I’ll blame it on my travels to Mexico and Asia. I remember a trip to Seoul, Korea where the vendors I was working with were astonished that I was eating whole charred garlic cloves straight off the grill (in multitude). I then proceeded to douse my rice with their chili paste (not for the faint of heart). I had been forewarned that “this is SPICY!!” and that maybe, as an American, I wouldn’t like it. It was fantastic!! I then proceeded to dare my coworker into a “you taste the spicy chili and I’ll taste the sushi” dare (I don’t do sushi… it’s the texture). I won. These amazing enchiladas are a testament to my love affair with spice though they are less spicy than I would make for myself, given the choice 😉 These chicken white bean enchiladas are still kid and Midwestern husband friendly!
Chicken white bean enchiladas start with a slow cooked chicken. Hello, drool-worthy shreddable tenderness! To that, we add a touch of garlic and onion and a tish of that tomatillo salsa which also goes on top. You can use any other enchilada sauce too if you prefer red or green. My go-to sauces when I don’t make it from scratch are the Frontera brand that you can get in a pouch since it doesn’t have preservatives. If you like a nice red (rojo) enchilada sauce from scratch, you can use the red sauce I created for this venison enchiladas recipe both in the sauce and as a “smother” for baking. Add to that a bit of white navy beans, more garlic, and a little lime and spinach , topped with pickled jalepeno and we have ourselves a respectable chicken white bean enchilada. You can make this as spicy as you want simply by altering the type of peppers you use when making the sauce. Less spicy peppers equal less spicy sauce. Or use less of them just be sure to use a variety for a well-rounded flavor. Simple simon… and SUPER delicious!
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ onion, diced
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon pink himalayan salt
- 1 can white navy beans
- ½ cup roasted salsa verde or enchilada red sauce (see links for recipes)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 cup spinach chopped
- 8 fajita size corn tortillas
- garnishes: queso fresco, fresh tomato, lettuce, cilantro and pickled jalapeños
- In a slow cooker, cook chicken breast with garlic, onion, broth, and salt for 6-7 hours on low until easily shreddable.
- Shred meat and stir in the beans, cilantro, spinach and lime juice plus ½-1 cup sauce (either salsa verde or red sauce).
- To assemble enchiladas: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly brush or spritz both sides of tortillas with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Toast tortillas about 8 minutes. They should still be pliable.
- Let tortillas cool just enough that you can handle them.
- Place a scoop of filling along the center of each tortilla and roll it up.
- Place tortillas seam side down in a lightly greased baking dish. Repeat for remaining tortillas.
- Pour sauce over tortillas being sure to cover the tortillas completely.
- Top with cheese if desired.
- Bake 20 minutes.
- Serve hot with cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes and pickled jalapeños for garnish.
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