Chicken Verde, Black Bean, Kale & Goat Cheese Enchiladas
This is an easily flexible recipe according the whatever veggies are in season! In the summer, I love to swap out the kale and add in zucchini and fresh corn. For veg with a higher water-content, give them a quick saute (or roast in the oven at 400 degrees) in olive oil, salt & pepper to cook down a bit before adding to the filling mix. Enjoy!
Ingredients
4 large or 5 small chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
1 large bunch of kale, de-stemmed and loosely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
4 oz goat cheese
1 jar salsa verde
1 jar of green enchilada sauce
3 cups shredded cheese - any combination of mozzarella, monterey jack, or white cheddar
Corn tortillas or siete tortillas, lightly warmed or toasted on the stovetop
Cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges for serving
Let’s Make It!
Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a deep-sided skillet, add one tbsp of olive oil, chicken thighs, and the full jar of salsa verde. Cover and cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through and easily shreds. Remove chicken thighs and shred, meanwhile turn the heat up to medium high and cook down remaining salsa until reduced in volume (about 10 minutes). Add chopped kale to the liquid mixture and cook to wilt, about 5 minutes. Set mixture aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, add shredded chicken. Add chopped onion, garlic, black beans, kale/salsa mixture, goat cheese, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese mix. Gently mix until the filling is evenly mixed together.
In a 9x13 baking dish, pour a drizzle of olive oil on the bottom of the pan and evenly spread. Add a thin bottom layer of enchilada sauce. Working one at a time, fill each tortilla, roll and place into the dish. Fit as many as you can in your dish - you want them to be nice and snug! Drizzle some olive oil across about 1 inch of the edges of your tortillas - this will ensure the edges crisp up instead of burn. Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and 2 cups of shredded cheese mix, leaving edges exposed.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until fully warmed through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove tin foil, turn up the oven temperature to 475 and bake for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is browned in some areas. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Top with cilantro, serve with sour cream and limes on the side.
