These enchiladas are easy to make and contain nutritious ingredients like carrots, red bell peppers, and spinach (or kale). The homemade seasoning isn’t spicy but can easily be adjusted or altered to be to your liking; add more or less of the spices listed below.
This recipe uses cooked chicken, making it a good option for when you need to help use up any leftover chicken you might have. Additionally, the chicken filling can be reserved once prepared and served on its own in deconstructed form or with your child’s favorite foods.
Served with a side of sour cream, red rice, carrots, and red bell peppers.
Chicken Veggie Verde Enchiladas
These enchiladas are easy to make and such a great way to eat some veggies. Additionally, this meal is great for the entire family to enjoy.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken-Veggie Filling:
- 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup filtered water
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup small diced red bell peppers
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup spinach or 1 kale, finely diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, finely diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream, optional
Ingredients to help assemble the enchiladas:
- 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded plus more for topping
- 6 flour tortillas
- 1 cup green enchilada sauce, I used the “Siete” brand
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- To prepare the seasoning, add the following ingredients to a small bowl: chili powder, salt, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, dried oregano and ground black pepper. Mix with a fork and set it aside.
- Add butter to a saucepan and melt it over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and red bell peppers. Sauté for about 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic, kale or spinach, and shredded cooked chicken. Sauté to help warm up the chicken, for about a minute over medium heat.
- Add the prepared seasoning. Mix to coat and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add water and mix to combine. Cook while mixing frequently until the water has evaporated. At this point can also add 1/2 cup of sour cream and mix. Allow to simmer/cook for about a minute. We don’t want the mixture to be too wet because the extra moisture can make the tortillas soggy.
- Remove from the heat and set it aside
To make the Enchiladas:
- To a bowl, add 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup green enchilada sauce. Mix to combine. Add 1 cup of this mixture to a 9×13 baking dish and spread it out evenly. Reserve the rest of the sauce to top over the tortillas.
- Grab a tortilla and add 1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese along with 1/4 cup of the chicken-veggie filling in a horizontal line on one end of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla making sure the filling stays inside. Place the tortilla, seam side down, in the baking dish. Once all of the tortillas have been prepared and added to the baking dish, top the remainder of the sour cream/enchilada sauce over the tortillas and spread it out evenly with a spoon. Top it with shredded monterey jack cheese and bake it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the sauce on the sides is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven.
- Serve with desired sides or toppings.
- Served here with a side of sour cream, red rice, carrots, and red bell peppers.
Notes
- If needed, to help make the tortillas pliable, place them in a damp paper towel and microwave for a few seconds.
- Can reserve some of filling and serve it on its own in deconstructed form.
- The amount of shredded cheese and the chicken mixture you add to the tortillas can vary. It depends on the size of your tortillas. If you have smaller tortillas, then you might need to add less filling. Add as much or as little as you’d prefer.
