Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce & Refried Beans, ready for the oven in 35 minutes.

Making the enchilada sauce and the refried beans gives this Mexican inspired meal a rich and savory flavor that’s in a totally different league than any canned products from the grocery store. And having pre-cooked, diced chicken in my freezer makes this meal quick and easy to put together. The end result is a homemade, fast food, family favorite, and totally satisfying meal.

Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients: 4 Tbls butter, 2-3 Tbls flour, 2 cups chicken broth, ½ tsp each: garlic powder, oregano, cumin, onion powder, white pepper, and salt; 4 Tbls chili powder.
Directions: Make a roux with the butter & flour and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium high heat. Add the chicken broth and spices and cook until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Done.

Refried Beans
Ingredients: 6-8 Tbls butter, 2 cans 16oz cans pinto beans slightly drained, ¼ tsp each: cumin, garlic powder, and white pepper; ½ tsp onion powder. Optional: ½ tsp oregano.
Directions: Melt butter in medium sauce pan, add the remaining ingredients and let simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. Mash with potato masher or spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Let the beans take a 15-20 minute siesta to thicken up a bit. Done. Go ahead and order a case of pinto beans (link is in the video description box), because you are going to love these beans.

Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients: 2.5 lbs cooked & diced chicken, 1 can sweet corn, 1 can black beans, 1/4-1/2 cup fire roasted green chile or Hatch chiles, ½ cup sour cream, 1 ½ cup shredded cheese, 1 Tbls minced garlic, 1 tsp oregano, ½ cup minced shallots or sweet onion, flour tortilla shells.
Directions: Mix all ingredients together (except the tortilla shells). Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Assemble, cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

Garnish plate with lettuce, fresh cilantro, diced tomato, sour cream, shredded cheese, olives, and salsa.