Black Bean Christmas Chili Enchiladas

I've been on a real cooking kick lately, and it has resulted in some really awesome, and pretty healthy meals for my family. Today's adventure was originally planned as another crock pot recipe, but I ended up doing it in the oven instead.

Here's the thing about me and recipes: I'm not so good at following them. I made crepes this morning, for example, and while I referenced the Betty Crocker recipe, I pretty much went by memory and improvised some things (personally, I like a bit more butter and sugar in mine). Perhaps it is just my stubborn nature, but for the most part I only read recipes for inspiration. My father is the same way. These Black Bean Christmas  Chili Enchiladas are the perfect testament to that. I found a recipe for Crock Pot enchiladas that looked intriguing, so I bought the ingredients, then ended up putting them together for the oven instead.

Confession time: They're filled with canned ingredients. You could probably go all out and prepare everything from scratch if you wanted to, but why would you? I even found canned Black Beans with Jalapenos for extra flavor. I served them with homemade Mexican Rice (have I mentioned that I love my rice cooker?) and canned, no-fat refried beans. I'm calling it a win!

Okay, so here they are before the mandatory covering of deliciously melty cheese

That dusting of New Mexico red chili powder gives them an unexpected kick!

Christmas Black Bean and Chili Enchiladas 

1 can black beans (with or without jalapenos), drained and well-rinsed

1 can corn kernels, drained

Handful of sliced black olives (however many you like, really)

1 can green diced green chili, drained

1 can white chicken breast (or, one cooked and diced boneless chicken breast)

1 large can Green Enchilada Sauce (pictured above: mild)

Red chili Powder (not to brag, but mine is authentic from Hatch, NM)

Shredded cheese (I like a Mexican blend)

12 Tortillas (pictured above: flour. Corn works too, though you may need more than 12 to fill a 9 x 13")

Mix canned beans, corn, olives, diced chili, chicken and a handful (I'd say it was between 1/2 and 3/4 cup) of shredded cheese in a large bowl. Pour a small amount of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a foil-lined 9 x 13" baking dish (mine's Pyrex). Fill each tortilla with a generous amount of the filling and roll; fill pan, then cover in remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle red chili powder evenly, according to your desire for spicy goodness. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, then cover in tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Remove tin foil and broil for 5 to 10 minutes to crisp up the cheese at the end of baking.

Result! So. Much. Deliciousness.

Prep time: 20 - 30 minutes

Bake time: 1 hour + 5 minutes

This pan is going to feed us dinner at least twice, and I'll be eating good lunch at work this week! I love enchiladas a lot for all of the above reasons. Plus, Mexican dishes like this only get better with time in the refrigerator. 

Seriously delicious. Aside from making the sauce from scratch, I'm pretty sure these could not be improved upon. And, with a filling made mostly of beans and veggies, the argument can be made that this recipe should permanently replace my very favorite Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas, which are delicious for all the wrong reasons (hint: it's sour cream). 

So, are you like me? Do you make stuff up as you go? Well, why not write it down and send it to youringredients@ingredientsmagazineslc.com? If it's good, we may just publish it in an upcoming issue of Ingredients Magazine!