Friday, January 16, 2009

Working Eater Series: 8 O'Clock Enchiladas


Today, I am going to revive a long ignored series, my old "working eater series" (which features recipes for quick dinners geared towards working people).

I absolutely adore enchiladas, and would love to share with you a bastardized version that I often make at home. These enchiladas make a very easy and relatively quick dinner, perfect for a working person. You can make them as late as 8 o'clock at night, they can be ready for dinner in less an hour, and they can be packed for lunch the next day. In fact, they taste even better the next day. (Oh, and as for the murky shadows on many of the pictures, "Darn you dark kitchen, darn you!"  Just ignore those.  Thanks.)

8 O'Clock Enchiladas
1 chicken thigh, cooked and shredded (can use leftover chicken or boil a fresh chicken thigh on high heat until cooked through--this won't take long)
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp of cumin
1 can (15 oz) of whole black beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) of whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (29 oz) of enchilada sauce
2 cups of monterey jack cheese, shredded
20 corn tortillas

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, diced tomato, cumin powder, black beans, and corn kernels. Combine the mixture thoroughly. Then add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, and enough enchilada sauce to moisten the mixture (~1/2 cup), but do not add all of the sauce in the can. With 1 tbsp of the sauce, coat the bottom of a large baking dish (13' X 9'). Reserve the remainder of the sauce for later.


Corn tortillas break easily, so you can coat them in warm oil (the traditional way to make enchiladas) or spray them with cooking spray and stick them in the oven for 5 minutes to get them pliable and soft. Or, you can do as I do, and just stick them in the microwave for 1 minute with a small dish of water or covered with a damp paper towel. If you use the microwave method, the tortillas may break after you have already rolled them, but it is a tad healthier. Albeit an infinitesimal "tad."


Next, put about 2 tbsp of filling into the warm and pliable tortilla, and roll it up. Place the seam side of the rolled tortilla down on the baking dish, and continue to fill and roll the tortillas, until finished. Then, cover all of the rolled tortillas with remaining sauce, and sprinkle the remaining cheese down the middle region of the tortillas. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the enchiladas for 30 minutes, or until heated through.


Serve, and enjoy!

20 comments:

  1. mmm cheese. yup, good friend of taste tests. just moved to NY, food was a big factor! =)

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  2. Taste Tests ("Lisa") has many friends, I am glad that we have her as a common friend Alex!

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  3. oh! thanks so much for this recipe.
    been unable to find one until now and have been playing by ear.

    neki desu

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  4. Hey,

    Thanks for visiting. I'm still reading and enjoying your recipes.
    I will try this one for my two girls and let u know how it went.

    Happy New Year!

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  5. Love the working eater series... It is always good to find some new easy breezy dinner ideas...

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  6. Don't be shocked when I tell you this - I have not tried Enchiladas before! :o

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  7. Despite the fact that I am currently unemployed, this is helpful. Looking for a job is like a job in and of itself, right? These enchiladas looks AMAZING, and I'm going to try these tomorrow night :) Thanks!

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  8. the pics show that your version is not "bastardized" after all. nice one PE, i'll definitely do this one of these days.

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  9. mmmmm red sauce.......love the photos!

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  10. Don't forget to eat it with a good guacamole.

    This guacamole recipe is truly delicious

    Gourmet guacamole
    1 can refried beans
    1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
    1 cup sour cream
    1 envelope taco seasoning
    1 ripe avocado
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/4 cup mayonnaise
    Chopped black olives
    Diced tomatoes
    Juice of half a lemon or lime
    Shredded lettuce

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  11. Yum, can I make them at 6 o'clock instead? ;-) By 8 p.m., I'm already watching Idol and can't eat and watch at the same time or else I might gag when some wanna-be Kelly/Clay/David/David/ sings off key.

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  12. I hope you like it Neki Desu and Belizegial, it is not authentic, but it works for me! Happy New Year to you Belizegial!

    Thank you so much Sig, I always try to cook easy and fast meals.

    I will check out your Foodista site Mr. and Mrs. Sound!

    Gasp, Tigerfish, you must try them soon!

    Keep on looking OrangeHennesey, and you will find something soon! Also, the recipe is my own bastardized creation, but I think it is pretty good. I can't wait to hear how it turned out for you.

    Your encouraging words always make me smile Jhaw, sj!

    I like the red sauce enchiladas better than the green sauce KirkK,, do you have a preference?

    Thank you so much for your recipe Lauren, I love your recipe site!

    Thank you for visiting and your sweet comment Sher!

    You can make them anytime you want Chef Ben, and make sure you've made them before Idol, so you won't miss a thing (or beat)!

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  13. Hey there! i've been slightly
    * mia * + finally getting grounded.
    Looks like tons of mouth watering posts that i need to catch up on.

    enchiladas is def one of those dishes that i love but am too lazy to put together. what time does dinner start? LOL ;-)

    btw, Happy New Year to you + Beau....hope you guys had fantastic holidays!

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  14. Happy New Year to you and your family Taste Memory! I can't wait to see you up and posting again!

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  15. Oh gosh, you are just killing me with these amazing pictures! Your definitely have my stomach growling on these amazing enchiliadas!

    These look fabulous and now I'm gonna have to go get me some today. It's been such a long time since I've made enchiladas. But mine sure don't come out as beautiful as yours! Now I need a beer too...

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  16. Haha, thanks White on Rice Couple, I am sure that you will outdo my enchiladas by far! My version is just a simple one, that uses many canned ingredients and only a little meat.

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  17. Oh, yummy! I looove Tex Mex food! A scrumptious dish!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  18. I also love Tex Mex food Rosa's Yummy Yums!

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  19. I'm speechless upon seeing those yummy food pics...can't help but grab virtually. May I suggest to put the health benefits we can get on those great recipes...I added this one in my long list of "good finds galore". Hmmm, I think it will be more delightful if this will be placed in fabulous food hampers. Can't imagine the smiles of the receiver if you will care to give this as a present / gift.

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