Jack Cheese Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas

When I chose black beans for the challenge for this week, I was at a little bit of a loss as to what I myself would make with them. See, I love black beans, but I do a lot of instinctive cooking with them (no recipe), and I really love everything that I already make with them. So why bother making something new? I'm not dissatisfied. At the same time, what would I make...I've temporarily exhausted my own black bean creations.

Well, the next day, I was going through my Google Reader, and found a recipe on one of the nearly 30 food blogs to which I am subscribed, that when I read the title, I thought "That's the one. That's the recipe I'm going to make!" And I did. And it was sooooo good.

Recipe is originally found here on Get Off Your Butt and Bake! I made these on Cinco de Mayo, and we had company over for dinner that night. I pulled them out of the oven, put them on the table, and we sat down to eat. I didn't get a chance to take a picture, but there is one on the above-linked website if you want to see. I served these with Mexican rice, strawberry water, and these brownies (the richest and yummiest I have ever eaten in my entire life).

(Side note: If you make the brownies, I would suggest almost doubling the amount of cinnamon in them. Use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate. Cut into smaller-than-normal portions, and have lots of milk on hand. You'll need it! Oh, and I've got a picture of them here.)

I rate these enchiladas definitely five stars. My husband complained that they weren't "hot" enough. I love my husband. He's gotten used to my spicy Mexican cooking, and these weren't hot enough. Ironic, huh? Actually, in this case, I think it was that I used a different brand of salsa than usual. Even though it was still technically "medium" heat, it wasn't as hot as the stuff we normally use. But the heat can be adjusted easily according to your tastes.

I doubled the recipe for four of us, since it only makes four enchiladas. They are very filling. Served with rice and cornbread (which I intended to make but didn't have time for), you really only need one enchilada to fill you up (especially if you're saving room for the brownies). (Can you tell I really loved those brownies? I'm making more today. They have flour in them...Jillian, can I count them for next week's challenge?) ;)

Okay, here's the recipe. Enjoy!

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Jack Cheese Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
1/3 cup prepared salsa, mild, medium or hot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/3 cups shredded Monterey jack and or Cheddar

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add chicken and saute 5 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove half of the chicken and reserve for another use. (So why doesn't the recipe just call for a 1/2 pound of chicken then?) Stir in black beans, green chilies, and salsa and simmer 5 minutes, until sauce thickens and reduces. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Arrange 4 tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken mixture. Roll up tortillas and place side by side in a shallow baking dish. Top tortillas with shredded cheese (1/3 cup per tortilla). Bake enchiladas 15 minutes, until cheese is golden and gooey!
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