GOAT CHEESE and CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

this dish is a winner on many different levels! you can not only serve a classic mexican meal quickly, but you will impress your dinner guests by adding the unexpected and delicious ingredient: goat cheese. never tried goat cheese? give it a chance! its tangy, creamy texture blends perfectly with the mexican spices and is a great change to sour cream. with only 12 ingredients, you can zip through the grocery store's express lane, get home, and get cooking! assembly time is only about an hour, and you can assemble it hours before you eat it. the recipe is easily doubled to feed larger crowds, and can easily be adapted to suit your mealtime needs!

INGREDIENTS:
1 small poblano pepper, 1/4" slices
1 small yellow onion, 1/4" slices
2 clove of garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (approx 2-3 cups)
8 oz. goat cheese
1 15 oz. can of refried black beans
lime juice (about 2 tbs.)
handful fresh cilantro, chopped (about 2 tbs.)
6 spinach tortilla shells
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
14 oz. green enchilada sauce or salsa verde
extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
-put 1 tbs. oil in a large pan over medium heat
-add peppers and onion and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get transparent, and peppers start to soften
-add garlic, reduce the temperature to medium-low, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes
-add 1/4 cup enchilada sauce to the pan, and turn the heat to low
-add chicken to the pan, let it heat up slightly
-add the goat cheese in crumbles, and mix until the cheese melts and evenly coats the chicken
-add lime juice and cilantro
-to make the chicken filling even in each tortilla, divide with your mixing spoon (in the pan) the mixture in half, then in half again, and again, so you have six equal portions
-take one tortilla shell and spread about 1/4 cup of bean mixture evenly on top
-take one portion of the chicken mixture and place it in the middle of the tortilla shell, from top to bottom of the tortilla, keeping the chicken mixture no more than 1.5" wide
-roll up the mixture in the tortilla shell and place in a greased 9"x13" casserole dish seam side down
-continue filling up the additional 5 tortilla shells and place in the casserole dish
-pour enchilada sauce evenly over the 6 tortillas
-sprinkle shredded cheddar on top of enchiladas
-bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes
-let cool and enjoy!

serves approximately 3-4

SHOUT OUTS:
this recipe was inspired by a meal prepared by chef Bobby Flay on 'Boy Meets Grill'

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-save some time! use a store bought rotisserie chicken
-can't find refried black beans? buy a can of regular black beans, wash and drain them, place on a large cutting board or plate, and mash with a potato masher or fork!
-mix it up! try different flavored tortilla shells like red chili, sun dried tomato, whole wheat, or whatever looks good at the store. use traditional red enchilada sauce. use pinto refried beans. try it with shredded pork or beef instead of chicken.
-want to make your enchilada sauce a little more special? add a few cloves of mashed roasted garlic to it! DELICIOUS!! (Hatch brand enchilada sauce sells a roasted garlic green enchilada sauce i found at Whole Foods Market)
-you can certainly leave off the additional cheddar cheese if you'd like to save some calories, or make the meal vegetarian by replacing the meat with mushrooms, eggplant, spinach, or zucchini- just cut and cook the vegetables like you do the peppers and onions