These are the creamiest, most indulgent enchiladas ever! A nice deviation from the standard meat-filled enchiladas that you get at the restaurants. I've also included a vegetarian alternative... and you definitely don't need to be a vegetarian to appreciate them either! I got the recipe, again, from
Freezer Pleasers, but their version just didn't have enough veggies in it, so I changed that!
15 oz enchilada sauce (red or green, they both work)
1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (10 oz) cream of mushroom
1 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt or another can of soup, if you want to make it a little healthier)
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
4 oz can diced green chiles, drained
1 cup asparagus, chopped*
about 1/2 of an onion, diced
about 1/2 tsp each of garlic pwdr, salt, pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed**
2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
8-10 med whole wheat flour tortillas (you might want to warm them a bit right before you roll them so they don't break, as ww tortillas tend to not be as soft as regular flour tortillas)
In a 13 x 9-in. baking dish, spread 1/2 c enchilada sauce; set aside. In a large bowl, combine soups, s.c., veggies, and seasoning. Stir in chicken and 1 cup or so of the cheese. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it in the prepared dish (seam-side down). Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover w/tin foil and bake in 350 oven for about 45 mins (or until edges are bubbly). Remove tin foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
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| Umm, I'm not very good at photographing food to make it look delicious... |
Vegetarian alternative: I've made this for my vegetarian sister and as well as for my meat-loving friends with rave reviews. Just replace the chicken with more veggies (duh)--mushrooms, zucchini, or broccoli work well. Replace the cream of chicken soup with another creamed soup--cream of mushroom or cream of asparagus work great! You could also try that Campbell's condensed cheddar cheese soup, if you dare be so cheesy!
If you're going to prepare this and freeze it for another time: Start out by lining a 13 x 9-in baking dish (but make sure that it will fit in your freezer first!!) with tin foil. Spray the foil w/cooking spray. Now prepare the enchiladas as directed above, with some of the sauce going on the bottom, then the wrapped enchiladas, then more sauce and cheese. Next, place uncooked casserole in the freezer for a couple hours until solid. Now you can remove the baking dish so that the enchiladas are only wrapped in the tin foil (Now you don't have a big clunky pan in your freezer!) Add an extra layer of freezer protection (be it a plastic bag or saran wrap or whatever works for you). Freeze casserole for up to one month. To use: Remove from freezer and take off tin foil (some may stick on, since it's still frozen. No worries, you can remove any remaining tin foil once it's thawed. Place in original baking dish and thaw in fridge overnight. Remove from fridge for about a half hour before baking (so it's not going into the oven so cold). Bake as directed above.
*I love
asparagus, so when it goes on sale at the store, I buy a bunch, dice it up, put it in a zip lock bag, and store it in a freezer so I always have it on hand (and you don't eve have to defrost it in most cases). Also great for omelettes, casseroles, and stir fry! Oh, I also do this with broccoli and bell peppers, but be prudent about the peppers--often times the frozen bell pepper medley from the store is a much better deal.
**
Shredded chicken is another item that is good to have on hand, so every once in a while, I throw a couple of frozen chicken breasts into the crockpot with some broth (or water w/a bouillon cube if I'm out of broth), some onions and garlic (or their powdered equivalents), cumin, paprika, and (just a little) cayenne (OR you can just use whatever you have on hand--taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, salsa..), and cook on high for 3-4 hrs (or low for 6-8 hrs).
Don't pull apart the chicken until it's done cooking, otherwise it gets a little mushy and "crock-potty". Then, when it's done, just shred it all up, and--you guessed it--stuff it in a zip lock baggy and throw it back in the freezer until you need it! It's so flavorful and tender and juicy. I know they say not to re-freeze something after it's been cooked, but I think that's just a bunch of phooey.
