Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

We love enchiladas, red or green, in our house and even though we have a great go to recipe that never fails to please I am weakly attracted to any recipe that has the words "cream cheese" in the ingredient list.  I was intrigued by the idea of using it in an enchilada recipe and was excited to try these.  They were really good and different and this was a recipe with ingredients I would never have thought to use for such a classic, like the beans, but it totally worked.  As always, if I post it on here (and there are plenty of recipes I try that don't end up on the blog) then it is definitely something we enjoyed and will be making again.

Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
My Kitchen Cafe

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained * I used Great Northern Beans because I really like them and I had them on hand

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
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas 

 * I made these using flour tortillas as given in the recipe because I always try to follow a recipe as is the first time I try it, even though we really prefer corn tortillas in our enchiladas.  It was still quite yummy and for those of you who like to use flour, you will love it, but in the end we still prefer corn and I will use those instead next time, which for us will make them perfect!

Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, 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. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. 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.