I realize that "fajilada" may or may not be a real word, so please forgive me if it means something bad or dirty. Mmkay? I just thought that this was an appropriate name for the Mexican-inspired concoction I made for dinner last night!

Fajita-type filling baked in an enchilada-type sauce, then covered with cheeeeeese... authentic or not, it was certaintly delicious, and Hubs-approved!

**I have to warn you guys- this is a recipe you attempt when you have the time to spend on each element!**


I usually make a recipe at least twice before I post it but this is the second time I've made this one, and Hubs insisted that I need to post these with a picture before they disappeared like the first batch! I guess that means this meal is a winner, and has earned a spot in the ever-growing book of Husband-approved foods. :)

Shredded Chicken Fajiladas (Fajita filling baked like Enchiladas)

Chicken Filling:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, coated in chili powder
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ c. low-sodium chicken stock
½ packet low-sodium taco seasoning
juice from roasting pan
¼ c. low-sodium chicken stock (optional)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Peppers & Onions:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ red onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded & sliced
2 tsp. lime juice

Black Bean Spread:
½ red onion, diced
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 tsp. ground cumin
¼ packet low-sodium taco seasoning
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime juice

"Enchilada" sauce:
½ yellow onion, diced
½ can tomato paste
1 can chili
¼ packet low-sodium taco seasoning
1/3 c. hot water

1 ½ c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6 large whole wheat tortillas

For chicken filling:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sear chili-coated chicken breasts on both sides. Remove chicken breasts to greased baking dish.
2. Pour ½ c. chicken stock into pan, and scrape up blackened bits on bottom of pan. Pour stock over chicken breasts, cover with foil and bake in oven for 20 minutes or so. (If you want to check, use tongs to pull one out, and cut it in half—you don’t need to worry about these staying whole, since they’ll be shredded in a minute!)
3. Remove chicken from oven and let cool.
4. Using 2 forks, shred each chicken breasts. Add shredded chicken and juices from baking dish to skillet.
5. Add taco seasoning. You can add additional liquid if you’d like (this is where I added the extra chicken stock). Heat chicken and let “simmer” for 10 minutes or so, until liquid is almost all gone. Stir in cilantro, if you choose to use it.

For pepper & onion filling:
1. Heat olive oil in skillet (you can use the same one that you did the chicken in, but make sure it’s big enough to hold the shredded chicken later.
2. Dump in peppers and onions. Soften slightly, then add lime juice. Remove to a plate and let cool.

For black bean spread:
1. In a small-skillet, heat olive oil. Soften diced onion.
2. In a food processor, pulse beans until smooth (you will still see some black bean skins). Add onions, lime juice and spices and puree into beans. (You can do this without a food processor too- I used to mash these with a potato masher before I got my wonderful Kitchenaid food processor for Christmas!)

For enchilada sauce:
1. Heat olive oil in small saucepan. Soften diced onion. Add taco seasoning and water.
2. Add tomato paste and chili. Heat until just bubbling.

To assemble:
1. Spoon a small amount of sauce into bottom of greased 9”x13” baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. To make one “fajilada”: Spread about 1 Tbsp. of the black bean spread down the middle of a tortilla. Spoon about 2-4 Tbsp. of shredded chicken over spread. Arrange a few pieces of peppers and onions on top of chicken. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of cheddar cheese as the last layer before rolling.
3. Arrange rolls snugly into baking dish (you can tuck the ends if you’d like). I can typically only fit 6 of these into a 9”x13”, with a bit of each filling leftover.
4. Pour sauce over rolls. Use a spoon (or spatula) to spread to edges, covering every bit.
5. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove foil. Spread remaining cheddar over top. Sprinkle Monterey Jack over cheddar.
7. Bake for another 10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
9. Serve warm with sour cream on the side.