The BEST Chicken Enchiladas I've Ever Made

This is another recipe I found on pinterest.  I pinned it months ago and finally got around to trying it.  Pinterest claimed they were the best chicken enchiladas ever, and I have to say that Gerald and I both agree these are by far the best white chicken enchiladas I have ever made.  They are truly delicious!

They come from Mel's Kitchen Cafe blog.

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Filling:

• 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken 
• 2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained 
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here) 

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion) 
• 2 tablespoons flour 
• 1/3 cup chicken broth 
• ¼ cup milk 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• ¼ teaspoon pepper 
• 1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce (I love the Stokes brand; I used Stokes Green Chile Sauce with chicken, and I used the whole can even though it was 15 oz, not 7.  It was delicious!)
•  ½ cup sour cream 

Assembly:

• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded 
• 8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas 
• Handful of chopped fresh cilantro 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl (I used my kitchenaide and recommend a mixer to fully smooth out the cream cheese), combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Add the salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

FREEZER directions: After assembling, the baking pan can be covered with a double layer of foil and put in a jumbo-sized resealable bag and frozen for up to two months. Bake from frozen by decreasing the baking temperature to 350 degrees F and baking the enchiladas covered for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour until the dish is hot and bubbly.

We served these with Lime Rice and green salad, and it was a wonderful meal!