My dad is a fantastic cook who loves Mexican food—though he’s not used to cooking with a lot of Mexican ingredients.
He uses Italian ingredients, such as ricotta cheese. If you like hot and spicy food like I do, add 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper to the enchilada sauce.
Try another South of the Border recipe!
Ingredients
| 1 Tbsp. olive oil | 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about ¾ lb.), cut into 1-inch chunks |
| 1 10-oz. package mushrooms, sliced | ½ tsp. mild chili powder |
| 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped | 1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese |
| ½ Vidalia or yellow onion, diced | 1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce |
| 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves | 8 small (8-inch) fajita-size whole wheat or whole grain flour tortillas |
| 1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped | 2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese |
| ½ tsp. salt |
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Warm the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms, peppers, onions, thyme, rosemary, and salt. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Transfer to a plate.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with chili powder. Increase the skillet heat to high and add the chicken. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, until the chicken starts to brown. Turn the heat off and stir in the ricotta and vegetables.
3. Place the enchilada sauce in a shallow dish. Warm the tortillas in the oven in a single layer 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and lightly coat each with the enchilada sauce. Put scoops of the chicken mix on top of the tortillas, followed by sprinkles of cheese. Fold the tortillas over the filling and roll up like a cigar.
4. Using a spatula, place the tortillas in the baking dish. Repeat the process with all the tortillas. Pour any remaining sauce over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the enchiladas are bubbly and cracked on top.
Serves 4
