Food Storage Friday: Chicken Enchiladas

Growing up whenever I requested a meal, it was chicken enchiladas. Since we've been married they have also become a favorite of my husband's. In addition to being delicious, they are super easy to make. (I have a distinct memory of explaining how to make them to my bus driver when I was six.) However, the recipe that I grew up on does not incorporate much in the way of food storage. So I experimented several times. They were ok, but not fantastic. Then I finally arrived at this one that really works for me and my family. Enjoy.

Chicken Enchiladas
Food Storage Ingredients:
1 10.75 oz can of cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 4 oz can of diced green chiles
1/2 cup white beans, cooked and pureed

Fresh Ingredients:
6 burrito sized tortillas
2 cups cooked, diced chicken breasts
1/2 cup sour cream
shredded cheese (about 2 cups)
peppers and onions as desired (see note)

1. Mix sour cream, mushroom soup, green chiles and beans. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 3. Take a large spoonful of mix and spread on a tortilla. Sprinkle with chicken, cheese, and diced peppers/onions. Repeat with remaining tortillas. 4. Spread remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. 5. Bake for twenty minutes.

Notes: The original recipe is just mushroom soup, 1 cup sour cream, green chiles, chicken cheese and tortillas. I found that if you half pureed white beans for half the sour cream, you can barely taste a difference, plus its healthier and more filling. I've done it with all beans instead of sour cream. My family could eat it in a bind, but it lost some of its "comfort food taste". After reading Twilight, I tried adding sauteed peppers and onions. It's good, but I'm usually not that ambitious. Adding fresh onions and peppers is much easier and almost as good. This time I used one green onion and one red pepper in the enchiladas and one green onion on top. I basically use whatever combination is convenient. I've also made these with turkey (a popular use for Thanksgiving leftovers) and canned chicken. I'll be honest, canned chicken just isn't as good as fresh, but it's more palatable when you use half canned to half fresh cooked. (I do this sometimes when I am making a double batch.) This makes great leftovers and freezes well.