Make-Ahead Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas

As I get ready to go back to work, I’m digging up some good-for-you recipes that are easy to prepare ahead and pop into the oven at the last minute. If I don’t have healthy food on hand, it becomes extremely likely that I will end up consuming three quarters of a Papa John's pepperoni pizza. (Seriously. And if you think that’s bad, you should have seen me when I was preggers.)

This Chicken and Veggie Enchilada recipe was inspired by a fabulous dish my good friend Amy brought over for us after Little B was born. Hubs and I loved it so much that I set out to re-create it. The end result is easy, healthy, and really yummy. Best of all, you can tweak it to use whatever veggies you have on hand. I have also thought about making it vegetarian by substituting black beans for the chicky. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Healthy Chicken and Veggie Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Chicken stock

Olive oil

1 tsp. Cumin

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

½ of a red bell pepper, chopped

½ of an onion, chopped

1 bag of baby spinach (or more if you want...you can never have too much spinach!)

1 Cup reduced fat or fat free sour cream

1 /4 Cup reduced fat Mexican cheese + more for topping

¼ cup Cilantro, chopped

Whole wheat tortillas

Chile Verde Sauce (Note: You can find this at SuperTarget or Trader Joe’s)

Instructions

Boil the chicken breasts in chicken stock until cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and use two forks to pull/shred the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Sauté the chopped onions & peppers until just soft. Add the cumin and garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Add ½ the spinach and toss until it cooks down. Add the remainder of the spinach and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. Add the shredded chicken, sour cream, cilantro & ¼ cup of Mexican cheese. Stir to combine.

Divide the mixture among 6 or 7 tortillas. Roll each tortilla up and place seam-side down in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for a few days, if you want. When you’re ready to bake, cover with Chile Verde sauce and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 

Enjoy! Oh, and P.S., leftovers are delish for lunch the next day.