Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

I love Mexican food.  I loved that these were super easy to make, and the flavor was really great too.


1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces or strips
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 cup salsa, divided
2 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
3/4 cup shredded Mexican style cheese, divided
8 tortillas, 6 inch "taco" size

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray large skillet with cooking spray.  Heat over medium heat on stovetop.  Add chicken, peppers, and chili powder.  Cook and stir 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Stir in 1/4 cup salsa and cream cheese.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is well blended.  Stir in 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

Spoon heaping 1/3 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll up.  Place, seam side down, in 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  After filling all tortillas, top with remaining salsa and shredded cheese.  Bake covered for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.


Tips and Hints:
*I cut the chicken into chunks, but will do strips the next time.  I think strips will fill the tortillas a little more evenly.
*Neufchatel cheese is a nice alternative to cream cheese.  It contains less fat than real cream cheese, but still has the same tangy flavor and creamy texture.  In recipes like this, you can definitely substitute with no issues.
*You can substitute any cheese for the Mexican style cheese.  I used cheddar.
*We live in tortilla paradise--I can get all sorts of styles and flavors of tortillas.  I used flour tortillas when I made these, but you can substitute whole wheat, corn, or a flavored variety as you desire.  I actually got 10 enchiladas out of the filling, so have a few extra tortillas on hand.

Salsa Chicken and Rice

This is a family favorite. 

1 large can chicken

2 cups water

2 cups instant rice

1 jar of your favorite salsa

3/4 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Empty chicken into large pan.  Add water.  Heat to boiling.  Add rice; cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in salsa (you may not need full jar); heat until desired thickness.  Stir in cheese and heat until melted.

Serve with tortilla chips or put in tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and extra cheese.

You can also use smoked sausage instead of the chicken. 

Tips and Thoughts:
For kids who don't like spicy food, you can use a milder salsa or pull some of the rice out before adding the salsa for them to eat plain.
You can use either white or brown instant rice or a mix.
Canned chicken is a great ingredient for a lot of recipes.  It saves cutting and cooking chicken.  The texture is a little different (more like canned tuna) and it crumbles more, so think about whether you want that texture before substituting in other recipes.