These chicken and black bean chilaquiles are made with rotisserie chicken and store bought salsa verde for a simple twist on a traditional Mexican dish.

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Chilaquiles! Chilaquiles! I had no idea what they were until I decided to make them for Friday Night Dinner. We don’t live in an area where Mexican food is very authentic, so that’s not a surprise. So when I decided to make these after watching Lorelai? Lorelai?, I had some research to do.

I found out that Chilaquiles are basically a tortilla casserole and actually served as a breakfast dish in Mexico. Think about how great they would be with some fried eggs on top. But, we were doing this for dinner because I’m American, we like to take other cultures and make them our own (usually in the worst of ways). The funny thing is, the thought of a tortilla casserole conjured pictures of mushed up tortilla chips in my mind, so I didn’t have high expectations about these chicken and black bean chilaquiles.

I decided to go with the verde version of chilaquiles for these chicken and black bean chilaquiles – because, cilantro – and I used rotisserie chicken and black beans for my protein so I wouldn’t have to do any more cooking than absolutely necessary. Then I got even lazier and used tomatillo avocado salsa that I bought at Costco for the salsa verde. It’s all good though, because even with all my laziness, I’m still making my own meals, which is more than I can say for the Gilmore Girls, right?

The overall process of making the dish was easier than I expected, thanks to my shortcuts, and as they baked away in the oven, the smell in my kitchen had already blown my low expectations out of the water. When we took our first bites, we were pleasantly surprised, and I continued to say “Oh, this is so good!” as I was eating, something that doesn’t happen too often at our overly critical table.

As for the toppings, we went with fresh tomatoes, black olives, queso fresco (for me) and, of course, cilantro. Obviously, you can do whatever you want here. Your basic taco or nacho toppings should work, but get creative if you want. I’d love to hear how you like your chilaquiles.

Chicken and Black Bean Chilaquiles

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

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Ingredients

For the chilaquiles:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups tomatillo avocado salsa
• 7 – 8 ounces tortilla strips or chips

Toppings:

• Guacamole
• Tomatoes, chopped
• Black olives, chopped
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Queso fresco

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Heat a large, ovenproof skillet to medium-high. Add olive oil, onion, garlic and salt. Sauté until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and continue to cook for another minute.
3. Transfer to a large bowl and add beans. Stir until mixed and set aside.
4. Pour chicken broth and salsa into pan. Bring to a boil and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl.
5. Layer tortilla strips, chicken/bean mixture and broth mixture.
6. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
7. Garnish with desired toppings before serving.

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Nutrition

• Calories: 0
• Sugar: 0 g
• Sodium: 0 mg
• Fat: 0 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 0 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg