Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Not my picture

These enchiladas are seriously a favorite meal of mine. They're a bit time consuming, so I try to either start early or make the filling and green sauce a day ahead, but they are so worth it! I use more chicken than the recipe calls for (somewhere around 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast that I cube and saute) to make these a hearty comfort food perfect for hot summer nights, cold winter evenings, or even a Mexican-themed dinner party!

2 tablespoons butter

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup diced roasted red bell pepper

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 (4.5-ounce) cans diced green chiles

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa

10 (7-inch) flour tortillas

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often; add sliced onions, and cook 20 minutes or until caramelized. Reduce heat to low, and add chopped chicken and next 4 ingredients, stirring until combined. Set aside.

Pulse chiles and next 5 ingredients in blender or food processor several times until combined.

Bring chile mixture and chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat; cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. (Mixture should be the consistency of a thin gravy.) Remove from heat, and stir in salsa.

Spread one third chile mixture evenly on bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Spoon chicken mixture evenly down center of each tortilla; roll up, and place, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Top with remaining chile mixture; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Freeze chile mixture and filled tortillas separately up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Prepare and bake as directed.

To lighten: Substitute 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, 2% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and fat-free tortillas.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living (October 2003).