Light Chicken Enchiladas

We lighten up a diet bomb- enchiladas!

Last night, our mission was to make light enchiladas. This dish is generally a diet bomb, consisting of large pellets filled with red meat and cheese floating in an ocean of salty sauce. Or, if you’re like my mom and favor the white chicken version, the sauce consists mostly of sour cream and processed Campbell’s soup!

Our version started with home-style white corn tortillas from a nearby market, which we filled with shredded chicken breast, black beans, and sauteed bell peppers. We made our own sauce from scratch to cut down the salt, and sprinkled our filled tortillas with just a handful of shredded cheese. After 25 minutes in the oven at 375, our light enchiladas were ready, and very good. Our Mexican craving was satiated without bulging our bellies.

Here is the recipe I used for homemade enchilada sauce, which can be ready in 10 minutes. If you want it mild, I suggest using mild chilies.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all tomato sauce ingredients and place in a blender. Puree ingredients. Then place in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Use as desired for enchiladas.