Chicken Enchiladas and Cowboy Caviar (Black bean and Corn Salsa)

Howdy, Partner… (removes hat and tips it towards you.) Let’s take ourselves a little trip through the Southwest. Listen to the wind whipping through your hair. Check out that tumbleweed… (wait that’s a real thing?!) “Watchout for those man-eating jackrabbits and those killer cacti!” – $10 to the first person who knows what 90’s show this is from!!! (I’m serious too…2 rules: “follow” my blog via email and leave your answer in the comment section on the blog website!!)

When in the wild, Wild West, it’s customary to eat chicken enchiladas and cowboy caviar, right? It’s called COWBOY caviar for goodness sake! So put your hat and boots by the door and let’s dig in! Oh also can you leave your spurs outside? My child is nosey and we don’t need a trip to the emergency room today. ¡Muchas gracias!

Chicken Enchiladas 

You’ll want to start the chicken in the morning before you leave for work in the crockpot and finish it when you get home!

• (1) 3 lb. bag of frozen chicken breast
• 1 large can of enchilada sauce (I used green but use red if you prefer!)
• 6 mini-peppers, cut into thick strips (think Fajita-style)
• 1 onion, cut into thick strips just like the peppers
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 bag Shredded cheese

1. Put everything but the corn tortillas and cheese in the crockpot on LOW for 7-8 hours. When that happy timer goes off, shred that chicken up! It’s so easy- just use a fork and mix it up in the crockpot. It will be tender enough to do. I promise!
2. Once the chicken is cooked, it comes together really quickly! Tong (new verb) those corn tortillas and dip them into the crockpot liquid/chicken mixture. 

   

3. Roll some chicken mixture and a heavy sprinkle of shredded cheese into the pre-saturated corn tortillas. Continue this until you have a full 9×13 pan.  ***If you’re feeling extra lazy (which I do often when making this), layer the ingredients lasagna-style!  It comes out the same and really is easier.
4. Cover the Enchiladas with the rest of the shredded cheese and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.  When it’s nice and brown and toasty and heavenly, it’s done!
5. Let the Enchiladas rest for about 10 minutes before digging in!

If this isn’t delicious enough, let’s add some black bean salsa to this and throw down! I’ve made this Cowboy Caviar countless times and am always asked for the recipe.  My response is always, “There isn’t a recipe.  I just throw stuff in the bowl.” So I finally took the time to figure out (or get reallllyyyy close) to a consistent recipe to share!  

Cowboy Caviar (Corn and Black Bean Salsa)

• 1 bag frozen corn
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1 beefsteak tomato or a handful of grape tomatoes, diced 
• 1/4 medium onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced 
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• Roughly 5 heavy shakes Jalapeño Tabasco – the green bottle (I promise it’s not spicy!!! It’s more vinegary and tangy!)
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper, as needed
• Jalapeño, diced (optional)

Mix all of this in a bowl.  If you want it spicier, add more jalapeños.  If you want it sweeter, add more sugar.  If you want it tangier, add more Tabasco or lime juice.  Basically play with it til you taste it and want to run to your neighbor’s house and have them taste it too!

Serve it with tortilla chips, tacos, rice, pasta, or, of course, on the chicken enchiladas!  

I hope you make one or both of these and LOVE them as much as my family does!

Happy Cooking (and eating)!