Lighter Spicy & Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Wow has it been awhile!  Its also been 12 pounds, 3 inches off my waist, 2 inches off my thighs and 1 inches off my arms ago!  YAY to healthier eating and exercising!  I thought I would start posting again....this time using some lighter fare for those of you who are battling the bulge like me!

One thing I thought about diet food - it was generally pretty yucky.  Reduced fat or low fat can be bland, rice noodles can get gloopy (it's a word - promise!) and skim milk is just like drinking badly flavored water.  I am NOT a diet foodie.  However, if you disguise diet food with spicy ingredients - it's winner.  I am not a fan of reduced fat cheese.  I think it had less flavor BUT in this format, it works really well, especially since cheese isn't the main flavor.  It's subtlety is nice and lends to the creamy, cheesy texture you're after.

I wouldn't dare call this diet food - as it does use a canned soup mix but it is LIGHTER than what I would normally make and I used reduced fat sour cream (you could even use Greek yogurt here instead), brown rice, white breast meat, low carb whole grain tortilla shells and reduced fat cheeses.  This in itself has been the mainstay of my diet - changing up what I can, when I can.  Making better choices where I can without sacrificing taste or texture.  Let's face it - if you can't bear to eat lighter foods because of the way they taste, you're going to turn to bad things to eat instead.

I hope you enjoy these ..we have them about once a week now.  They're amazingly good, cheesy, creamy, spicy and lighter than normal.  Perfect on all accounts.

Spicy & Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1 small can of El Pato (or other spicy Mexican tomato sauce)
2 cups of reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of reduced fat sour cream (+ more for topping)
2 cups of shredded, cooked chicken
1/2 cup black beans (drained well)
1/2 can of Campbell's Fiesta Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 cup of cooked brown rice
6 low carb, whole fat tortilla shells

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, preheat oven to 350.

Mix together the shredded chicken, 1 cup of the cheese, 1/2 cup of sour cream, black beans, cheddar cheese soup and rice.  Place two big spoonfuls down the middle of a tortilla shell and roll up.  Place seam side down in the prepared pan.  Repeat with remaining mix and shells.  Pour El Pato sauce over the top and top with 1 cup of cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until warmed through and cheese is melted.  Serve with side salad.