Chicken Enchiladas

Besides the black beans in this recipe, corn would make a nice addition to the chicken mixture.

8 corn tortillas
Red Enchilada Sauce or *Emeril's Easy Enchilada Sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (12 - 16 oz.) - best if use poached chicken w/ 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can black beans, drained (optional)
1/3 cup minced onion
1/2 cup sour cream
4 ounces Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, grated, plus more for sprinkling on top
Sour cream, for sering
Chopped fresh scallions, for serving

To poach the chicken, mix some water in a pan with 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Use only enough water to submerge the chicken. Place 1 - 2 chicken breasts in the water, bring the liquid to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken when it reaches 165°F from the water and let cool slightly. Shred the chicken with two forks. You can use the chicken broth leftover to make a rice dish. Such as Southwestern Rice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degress.

Mix the the chicken, black beans, onions, sour cream, and grated cheese together.

Put some enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole or other pan.

Tips: I came across one recipe that says to grease the dish and just put the sauce on top to avoid soggy corn tortiillas. This worked better. The enchiladas didn't have soggy tortillas, although they were not crisp either. You just need a light coating in the pan so the tortillias don't stick. The other tip is to not dip the tortillas after it has been fried in sauce. Maybe just add a smear on the tortilla before adding the filling.

To assemble: quickly fry a corn tortilla in a lightly oiled skillet; then dip in the enchilada sauce [skip the dipping to avoid soggy tortillas]. The sauce should just lightly coat the tortilla, not thickly coat them. Place about 1/3 cup of the filling in the center. Roll up and place in a casserole dish seam-side down. Repeat with the remaing tortillas. Pour more enchilada sauce on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until hot. about 10 minutes before they are done, sprinkle with more grated cheese if desired and continue baking until the cheese is melted. The sauce should be bubbly and the cheese melted and golden.

Serve immediately with sour cream and scallions. Southwestern Rice and Refried Beans are good accompaniments. Alternative rice and bean dishes are Yellow Rice and Mexican Black Beans.