Recently, I needed a last-minute, nourishing meal to bring to a friend and her family having a tough week. This is a crew that loves whole grains, vegetables and global flavors, and generally consumes no beef or pork. I also knew they had a particular craving that night for Mexican, so off I went to whip up something fast, healthy and Latin-inspired to bring over for dinner.
I settled on enchiladas, and I pulled them off in short order because I used a good quality rotisserie chicken. I love to roast my own chickens, but sometimes, it just ain’t happening. The warmed, shredded chicken from the rotisserie bird combined with frozen corn, canned black beans, cooked quinoa and other ingredients made the perfect enchilada filling. Using a binder of Greek yogurt and adding shredded cheese only on top, they were flavorful, yet light. I made a double batch so I could feed my own household, too, and both gave the dish rave reviews. I’ll definitely make it again.
Here’s how:
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Chicken-quinoa enchiladas
Serves 8-10
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
One 10-ounce bag frozen corn kernels
1 good quality rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat separated from bone and torn into small pieces
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
½ cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup salsa
Corn tortillas (16-20)
Two 15.5-ounce jars red enchilada sauce (can substitute green)
One 16-ounce package shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Heat the oven to 325 degrees and spray a 10-by-14 glass casserole with cooking spray. You can also use two smaller dishes, if you want to make an extra batch to put in the freezer.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, corn, chicken and quinoa, and cook for about 2 minutes, allowing each component to warm through. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and stir well for a minute or two more. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the Greek yogurt and salsa to the mixture, and combine well.
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Pour about 1 cup enchilada sauce into the prepared casserole (or enough to just fill the bottom of dish). Make the enchiladas by spooning about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture into each corn tortilla. Roll and place each tortilla in the dish seam side down until the casserole is filled. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top, and top with cheese.
Bake for about 25 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.