Chicken Cream Cheese Enchiladas

I saw this recipe over at Sister's Cafe and knew I had to try it because Jake loves anything with cream cheese, and this was no exception. I believe his exact review was that this was "freakin' amazing". I love reviews like that. Makes the hard work worth it! What's even bette,r is that this makes a good freezer meal which I am slowly building up a supply of in preparation for baby #2 due in April. Gotta love freezer meals for those days when you just don't feel like cooking or have no idea what to make. It makes me SO glad for the nesting instinct that is in full force right now so I can get stuff like this done.

Ingredients:

1 c. diced bell pepper, whatever color you like or a mixture of what you may have on hand

¾ c. onion, chopped (can also add celery to complete the ¾ c.)

2 Tb butter

ENCHILADA SAUCE:

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 c. chicken stock (water and 1 tsp bouillon granules (or 1 cube) works great)

1-2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp each cumin, sugar, and salt

¼ tsp pepper

FILLING:

1/3 c. half and half (or milk, for a lighter version)

1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese (I always use Neufchatel cheese)

3 c. cooked chicken, diced

½ tsp salt

1 c. grated cheese

8-12 flour tortillas (I use 10)

Sauté onion and pepper in butter. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Heat tomato sauce, chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt and pepper; simmer 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare filling: Add half and half & cream cheese to the cooked chicken, sautéed onion and bell pepper (and celery, if desired), and salt. Dip tortilla in enchilada sauce mixture and spoon ¼ c. chicken filling into each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover with remaining tomato sauce. Cover with foil. At this point you may freeze the pan. Otherwise, bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Bake 5 more minutes.

Would be really yummy with some guac on top too!

(Instead of putting all ten of the tortillas in a 9x13 dish, put five in a 8x8 pan and the other five in another 8x8 pan. Freeze one of them for a later dinner.

When baking a frozen pan of enchiladas, remove the pan from the freezer, leave one layer of foil on top, and place in the oven (no need to preheat). Set the oven to 350° and bake for about 40-45 minutes or so, or until it is hot in the middle. Then add cheese and bake until it is melted on top.)