For the entire month of September, I’ll be participating in the SNAP Challenge and attempting to eat on $4.50 per day. Read more here.
**UPDATE: Well, I overlooked the fact that you can’t buy rotisserie chicken with SNAP benefits! You can, however, buy a fresh chicken and roast a home if you have time. There are links throughout the post on how to roast your own chicken, if needed.**
I’m back! I’ve completed the move to my new house, my internet is hooked up, and I can finally update week four of the SNAP Challenge. I was worried about not having time to cook before packing up my apartment, but I made it work. I was able to whip up these enchiladas in just a short amount of time and they helped keep me fed all week through the tough move.
For these enchiladas I utilized the convenience of a grocery store rotisserie chicken. Roasting a chicken at home is actually quite easy, but you have to have a little time on your hands. If you’re short on time or too intimidated to do it yourself just yet (promise me you’ll try it eventually), grocery store rotisserie chickens can be a good option. Sometimes they’re the same price or even slightly less expensive than fresh chickens and all the work is done for you. Just make sure to price compare. My chicken was $6.99 and I used half of the meat (about two cup, loosely packed) to make the enchiladas. I’ll explain how I used the rest of the chicken, including the carcass, in the week summary. ;)
I made a quick and easy creamy red sauce similar to the sauce used for this Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta, except I used canned tomatoes with green chiles for a southwest flavor. I then added my usual can of black beans and a cup of frozen corn (I just love that combo) to fill out the enchiladas and stretch the meat a bit further. I quickly made a batch of my favorite red enchilada sauce to pour over top (seriously, only takes about ten minutes) and then they were ready to go in the oven. Pretty easy!
Creamy Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
SNAP Challenge: Creamy Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Servings 8 enchiladasIngredients
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.02)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles ($0.73)
- 4 oz. cream cheese ($0.75)
- 2 cups shredded chicken (about 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken) ($3.50)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.89)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.60)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 8 soft taco sized 8 inch tortillas ($1.12)
- 1 batch homemade red enchilada sauce (about 2 cups) ($0.80)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and sauté it in a large skillet with cooking oil over medium heat for one to two minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the can of diced tomatoes with green chiles and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the tomato liquid has reduced by about half and become slightly thick.
- Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the tomato mixture. The sauce will become smooth and creamy as the cheese melts in.
- Rinse and drain the can of black beans, then add them to the skillet along with the frozen corn kernels, shredded chicken, and cumin. Stir to combine. Taste the filling and add salt if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scoop about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the creamy chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it up like a cigar. Place the filled and rolled tortillas into a 9×13 inch casserole dish, seam side down.
- While the oven is preheating, make a batch of homemade red enchilada sauce (or use canned), then pour it over the enchiladas in the casserole dish (you may or may not use all the sauce, it’s up to you). Bake the dish in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the edges of the tortillas are slightly brown and crispy.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Step by Step Photos
I used about half of the meat from one grocery store rotisserie chicken for this recipe. I was able to pull about four loosely packed cups of meat from one chicken. I find the meat easier to pick when it’s chilled, so I just popped it into the refrigerator when I got home from the grocery store. If you want to roast your own chicken instead, you can find great instructions at thekitchn.com.
I divided the chicken in two, about two loosely packed cups each. I froze half for use in a second recipe later.
To begin the enchiladas, mince two cloves of garlic then sauté them in one tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is softened and slightly fragrant.
Next, add one can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. This is the generic version of Rotel. If you can’t find Rotel or a generic version at your local grocery store, you can sub one 15-oz. can of regular diced tomatoes and one 4-oz. can of diced green chiles (usually found in the ethnic food aisle). Add the can of tomatoes to the skillet and let it simmer for about five minutes, or until some of the liquid has evaporated and it’s a little thicker.
Next you’ll need 4 ounces (half a block) of cream cheese. Cut the cream cheese into pieces so that it melts into the sauce easier.
Stir the cream cheese into the tomatoes until it melts in. It will look a little chunky to begin with, but as it melts it will become smooth…
Like this!
Rinse and drain one 15-oz. can of black beans, then add them to the skillet with two cups of shredded chicken. one cup of frozen corn kernels.and 1/2 tsp of cumin.
Mix it all up and now you’ve got a creamy and delicious chicken enchilada filling. (taste the sauce and add salt if needed. I didn’t add any to mine, but that’s personal preference.)
Fill your tortillas with the chicken mixture, then roll them up like cigars. The amount of filling and number of enchiladas you get will depend on what size tortillas you buy. I prefer smaller tortillas for enchiladas, but these particular tortillas were buy one get one free this week, so I hopped on that. There is a lot of filling, so I was able to make eight large enchiladas.
Place the filled and rolled enchiladas into a large (9×13 inch) casserole dish, seam side down.
Start preheating the oven to 350 and whip up a batch of red enchilada sauce while you wait (or use canned, but this homemade sauce is FAR superior). That recipe makes about two cups of sauce and you may or may not use all of it on the enchiladas, just depending on how saucy you like them.
Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and pop them in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the edges of the tortillas are a little brown and crispy.
I poured the remainder of my sauce over top when they came out of the oven and I happened to have some cilantro in the fridge, so I threw that on there for the photo’s sake. As I mentioned, these were fairly large so I ate one per sitting along with a big helping of some cilantro lime rice.
I never get sick of enchiladas!
Just so you know, if no one else has said it, you CAN buy a COLD rotisserie chicken on SNAP! Most stores will pop unsold ones in the fridge section for the late-night eaters, and those can be bought with a benefit card and thus re-validates your recipe.
I just tried making these today. They were really delicious. I went all the way and even made the enchilada sauce. I paired it with your cilantro lime rice. Soooo good! I love your site and will continue trying your recipes. Thanks a lot! :3
There is a grocery store here that refrigerates some of the rotisserie chickens which makes them SNAP eligible.
Congratulation! I’m so happy to hear that you are settled. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I’m definitely pinning it, as we eat a lot of Mexican food. Beans, rice, and tortillas are both frugal and filling. Thanks, again, for bringing awareness to this important issue.
Typo, just made
When I’m in a hurry I’ll assemble the dish layered lasagna style..just kade a veggie version with steamed butternut squash in place of the chicken. Yum!
My local grocery store has a section where you can buy rotisserie chicken on snap. The only difference is it’s cold .
Yes, same here. Plus, the cold ones are usually a dollar cheaper anyway.
Beth, these enchiladas were just stupendous. They served two heartily with enough left over for another eagerly-anticipated dinner. Kudos to you for managing to share your delicious recipes with us in the midst of a move.
*rotel
To tell only comes in 10 oz (at least in my grocery store). Is this enough? Or does it come in a larger size?
It would probably still work just fine with a 10oz. can, or you can use two for more chile flavor. I don’t know why the generic comes in a 15oz. can instead. :P
Made this for dinner tonight and it was great! I have always disliked enchilada sauce, but the recipe for making your own was really tasty. I’ve rarely made them, but now that I know that the sauce can be good, I anticipate making more!
This looks so yummy! :)
I actually work some with the SNAP program, and I’m glad you made this “mistake,” as I think it highlights how rules that have been in place for years just don’t make sense in the modern era and need to be changed.
As someone pointed out above, frozen or take-and-bake pizza is a-okay on SNAP, but a hot rotisserie chicken or salad bar items are off-limits. To me, that is insane. Here, you could have made this recipe and then put it in the freezer for later in the month, then used the other half of the chicken to make chicken tacos. I do this all the time, and because I’m only cooking for one or two, I get toppings from the salad bar instead of buying a ton of veggies I might waste. Things like shredded cabbage, precut green, white or red onions, diced tomatoes, angel hair lettuce, sliced radishes, etc. all are mostly lightweight, so the cost isn’t that high, it saves a ton of time (and makes it more likely you choose the veggies rather than the frozen pizza!), and the greater variety keeps you from getting bored with your good choices. Everyone wins.
This looks great!
The chicken filler is similar to the crock pot chicken tacos I make- chicken breasts, cup of salsa, taco seasoning, can of corn and can of black beans then cooks all day on low! An hour before I serve it I add a block of cream cheese to make it all creamy! It makes so much I usually will use it for quesadillas and enchiladas that week. I’m looking forward to using your red sauce recipe instead of can this time!
looks like another keeper! do you ever cook your own black beans(or any beans?)it’s so much cheaper. i buy in bulk and they are organic. soak over night in brine,then into the pressure cooker they go. I couldn’t afford your book at present(even though it is very affordable). so printed off at least 20 recipes to start a cookbook folder for my college sophomore.Thank you!!!
Yep, I sure do make my own black beans! I love making a batch and then keeping them in the freezer – just as convenient as canned. I even did a tutorial on how to cook them in the slow cooker. :) I just haven’t had time to do it with the packing and moving to my new place.
Would this work with pork? I have a ton of cooked pork in my freezer from a $.97/lb. boneless pork loin sale. I just cooked it in the crock pot and shredded it. Now I need to put it to good use!
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. :) Go for it!