Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles

Great week night dinner.  Used the Pato salsa de chili fresco, but added double the amount.  Put it in a 9X11" pan, so it served 8!  We put green onions, avocado and olives on top once out of the oven.  Delicious! I'm super excited there are left-overs for lunch.

Very mixed feelings about this one. I love traditional chilaquiles, and I looked forward to trying this take on the recipe. That said, there are some issues here. The calorie count states it’s 293 per serving. I’m not sure how they came up with that, since even using the most conservative calorie counts possible, I’m getting 320 per serving. (other reviewers have noted similar calorie calculations) 15 6-inch corn tortillas are 750 calories, the chicken is 462, beans are 315, the cheese is another 320. Add in 39 from the salsa, 64 from an onion, and 5 for low-sodium broth and you’re at 1920 for a dish that serves 6. Do the math. Even calculating an individual portion amounts came up with 320 per serving. Okay, that’s a major error in their calculations. Even using the salsa de chile fresco, the flavor as the recipe is written was very blah for my native Southern Californian taste. Salsa, garlic, and the queso are the only things bringing real flavor to this dish. I cooked the chicken with heavy seasonings, and added additional spices to the salsa-broth mix to amp up the flavor profile. I also served this with fresh cilantro on top and additional salsa on the side. I don’t know where the folks who took the picture here got their queso blanco, but… in my world, four ounces of queso blanco spread over a 7x11 dish is not going to give the cheesy appearance you see in that picture. Also, why slice the tortillas into 1-inch strips? It’s just as easy to cut them in half and layer them in the baking dish that way. Makes for neater presentation as well. And if done right, would result in using fewer tortillas (lowering the calorie count). Generally, I like the premise of these as a casserole type dish, but I think the recipe itself falls a little short on the flavor profile (boring if you've had the real deal), and the messed up calorie count gives a false impression that these are healthier than they are (I had no illusions of chilaquiles being healthy).They're not bad, but if you grew up eating flavorful Mexican food, they may leave you feeling a little flat. Prepare to tweak... a lot!

I feel like those that didn't like this recipe aren't familiar with chilaquiles at all.  If this describes you, please know that they 1) aren't nachos, so don't expect them to be crispy, and 2) aren't enchiladas, so they won't be drowned in sauce.  If you are fine with a texture somewhere in-between, you may proceed.

I loved these.  We had to make some modifications.  First, we cut the recipe in half (there are just two of us), and threw in the entire can of black beans (drained).  It was a bit more than half-full in an 11x7.  Queso blanco was extremely expensive at the supermarket, so we subbed a Mexican cheese blend.  We used all red onion, though it's probably awesome with yellow.  We served it with green onions, cilantro, and avocado for garnishing.  I thought the garnishes really brought the dish to the next level flavor-wise. I can see where people might call this a bit dry--some tortillas were pretty crunchy--and I think next time, we might increase the broth and/or salsa de chile fresco to 3/4 of the original recipe amount (to make a dish half the size).  However, the chicken was still moist, and the tortillas weren't anything that some extra bottled salsa on the side couldn't fix!  Other comments: the garlic is not overwhelming at all, and the El Pato has a slow-burn spiciness to it, which was unexpected and very nice.  I'm looking forward to eating these leftovers for breakfast tomorrow with a fried egg on top, which is how we do it in California!

Yuck. dont bother

Soooooo goooood. My husband and I have been trying to lose weight and eat healthier and I came across this recipe. I was doubtful at first but was so surprised at how amazing it turned out to be. I used wheat tortillas (just what I had on hand) instead of the corn and it was still great!

I have been making this recipe for years and LOVE it. It's so easy and turns out exactly like it looks. The sauce brings a hint of spice which we love. But overall it's so quick to make, very filling, and of course healthy. Excellent recipe.

I thought this was a little bland and dry, but after reading reviews want to try it again using the El Pato salsa de fresco. I used regular salsa and possibly too little. Also, this tasted better the next day when I had some for breakfast. Added 2 T of water and zapped it for 1 minute 20 seconds.

There is no need to add anything more to this recipe, perfect the way it is! Loved it!

I didn't like this at all. I don't understand why the recipe calls for tortilla chips. The ones on the bottom of the pan got tough and chewy and flavor-less. And the ones on the top didn't get crisp at all because of the sauce and the cheese that are poured over them. This didn't happen to anyone else's dish?

This was good, I would not say it was great and I would recommend using flour tortillas instead of the corn. I used a mix as I did not have enough corn tortillas. I froze this recipe up in portions and it was a decent lunch.

A little bland, but still really good. I need to use spicier salsa next time is all! Also, I'm not sure how I feel about corn tortillas, so maybe I'll try flour tortillas next time and adjust for the calorie change. Definitely worth a try :) My boyfriend loved it and didn't say a word about it being low fat/calories.

Love it! not bland at all. :) I always used leftover roasted chicken to make this dish. Great recipe!!! I used hot salsa and it was wonderful.

This was very good, great flavor and easy to pull together. I used Wegmans medium salsa and about 10 corn tortillas. I think that a good quality salsa is important to making this meal great; next time I will use Garden Fresh Gourmet salsa. This could easily be made vegetarian by leaving out chicken and adding extra beans. I don't think the salsa/broth mixture was totally necessary, next time I will just layer with salsa. I added fresh cilantro on top after cooking. Not something fancy enough to serve to guests, but is definately going in the rotation.

this was horrible - totally bland.

We enjoyed this, but I feel the recipe could use some tweaking. 5 cloves of garlic was too much for us, & we love garlic. I used 4 large cloves, which could have used more than 1 minute of cook time. I imagine this could be a fantastic dish with the right salsa. I used old El Pado medium regular salsa. Will try a different brand next time.

This didn't have a lot of flavor. I used salsa de chile fresco and used monterey jack cheese as I couldn't find queso blanco. We added sour cream when eating and it still was bland for us. Don't think I will bother again.

Very good and easy! I agree the previous poster, if you don't use Salsa de chile fresco, you may not like the recipe. This is not a traditional watery "american" salsa but more like a very spicy, galic-y, tomato sauce that is thicker. This could cause both the dryness and lack of flavor. You find this is mexican markets or your supermarket if they have a large hispanic section, or online.

...but how do you come up with 293 calories per serving? The tortillas are 65 calories x 15 = 975, the beans are ~270 calories for a 15-oz can, the chicken is about 420 calories for two cups, the cheese is about 440 calories for 4 ounces. So without even counting the stock, salsa, onions, or garlic, that's 350 calories. Which is still pretty good, but it's not 293. I added 1 t of cumin to this recipe, doubled the onions, and added three cups of finely sliced hot and bell peppers to the onion/garlic as they sauteed. Next time I would probably increase the salsa, too. With these tweaks, this will definitely be a keeper for me.

I liked this as a solid dinner and had enough for leftovers. I gave it an extra star because my boyfriend couldn't get enough of it. I cannot get black beans, queso blanco, nor salsa de chile fresco in my local Zürich supermarket. I substituted it with read beans, cheddar, and normal salsa.

Solid recipe, though i would add more garlic and maybe spices next time. I used a "mexican blend" shredded cheese that tasted good. I would probably add more beans and probably increase the amount of salsa just to add a bit of flavor. mine did not come out mushy, but I used a 9x13 glass pyrex baking dish since I didn't have what the recipe recommended. We liked it and it does reheat well for lunches!

Overall this recipe is bland and mushy. I added spices, which were essential. I added extra chicken broth as suggested. I don't think I'll make this again, the flavor just isn't there.

We absolutely LOVED this dish. Tried it for our Cinco de Mayo dinner, and with fresh guacamole, spanish rice, and a marguerita, it was a big hit! It's already filed in our "favorites" folder!

I, too, found this dish bland. I used Rick Bayless's Frontera salsa, since I couldn't find the brand it called for. Since Bayless is probably the country's premiere chef of Mexican cuisine, I doubt it was his salsa that was lacking. Rather, I think it was that the salsa got watered down too much by the chicken broth. Next time, instead of using 7 3/4 oz of salsa, I'll use the whole 15 oz that comes in the jar. Hopefully that will do the trick.

That was fantastic... I added a lot of cumin and chili powder and it was so tasty! It really brought up the Mexican flavor. I also want to say that it's a very generous portion. Will make it again and again.

The flavor was good, and the recipe made use of my leftover chicken and tortillas, but, overall, I found it a little lacking. The ratio of tortillas to everything else was a little overwhelming, and I think just a little bit more sauce would have been handy. (I didn't even end up putting all the tortillas in my pan.)

my friends like this. ive made it a few times, and get requests. its easy and good, however, i needs a little more flavor... dont be shy in trying to spice it up a bit. otherwise, solid.

I thought this came out really dry. Next time I plan on doubling the chicken broth and salsa.

This is one of our favorite dinners. I agree with many of the comments that the dish can be dry and bland as is, so we use rotisserie chicken and add a little spice to the recipe. The onions are just fine on the first day, but we've found that they don't reheat very well, so we leave them out. Probably wouldn't make this for a special occasion, but it's great for lunches during the week!

I am surprised with how many said this dish was bland. I enjoy mexican food and spices and found this to be very flavorful, but perhaps I just had a good salsa. I topped mine with sour cream which was a perfect side. I couldn't find the cheese they asked for, and when looking at the prices and types of mexican cheese they had at the store, mozzarella seemed like a good substitute. I enjoyed this casserole, although my husband thought it was too mushy for his taste. I kind of like mushy food though.

This is a good, fast weeknight meal. I probably would not, however, make it for company. I used rotisserie chicken and reduced-fat mexican cheese blend because that was what I had on hand. I also accidently picked up tomato sauce instead of the salsa fresca. I had to add a little salt and I think it would be great with fresh salsa and maybe some reduced-fat sour cream/

Very yummie and hearty. I spiced up my chicken with cumin, chili pepper, salt and pepper before cooking it - I think it gave it a little extra kick! It tastes even better the next day :)

Very good recipe. I did add a bit of chipotle pepper to give it a kick. It's a little dry. I think next time I will double the salsa and chicken broth.

I make this recipe frequently on weeknights using leftover grilled meat and whatever cheese I have on hand. I use more jalapeno peppers or other fresh peppers and have discovered that the salsa makes a huge difference in the flavor. I also mix everything except the tortillas then layer as directed. This is a quick favorite of everyone in the family.

Good and easy recipe. Will make it again for sure. Did not change anything from the original recipe besides letting the chicken broth/salsa mix boil for about 10 minutes.

Did not enjoy this at all. Very bland and very dry. Not worth the effort and all the ingredients.

Not worn it, bland, boring too many other good recipes out there!

This was very tasty. I used leftover rotisserie chicken breast and a fresh salsa I had on hand. The recipe is very low cal and low fat, so if you really want to feed 6 adults, I'd recommend increasing the chicken and beans mixture by 50% and adding a bit more cheese. Adding a small amount of cream (couple of tablespoons) to the liquid would also be delicious. Also, if using a chunky salsa, put it in the blender first, or all the chunks get stuck on the top of the casserole. Last, if you like any heat, use a spicy salsa as the spice gets diluted quite a bit (e.g. if you usually like medium spice, use hot salsa and the overall dish ends up medium). Tasty and easy!

I love chilaquiles, they are my ultimate comfort food, but the original recipe is FATTENING!!! This is a great, lighter alternative. The secret is the El Pato. I can almost guarantee that anyone who thinks this dish is bland substituted the El Pato with something else, because it's super spicy and totally makes the dish. Love this, and can't wait to make it again!

Yum! I could have eaten this all day :) and easy to make.

Very bland and boring. I used a hot salsa in it because I couldn't find what the recipe called for, and it added heat but no flavor. Maybe with a lot of modifications, this could be better. But I'm not wasting my time trying it again.

These are delicious and everyone in my household liked them! I will definitely make them again. I followed several of the suggestions I read in the other reviews: I poached boneless skinless chicken breasts in a can of fat-free low-sodium chicken broth with ancho chile powder, garlic, black pepper, tabasco, and cumin for 20 minutes. Then I shredded the chicken and used the broth in the chilaquiles. I used a 16-oz. jar of black bean and corn salsa and "quesadilla cheese" I found at my grocery store, which didn't have queso blanco. I didn't cut the tortillas, just layered them whole, and I toasted them prior to using them. I also sprinkled cheese on the middle layer as well as the top. Yum! These will become a winter favorite in my household.

This is fantastic! I couldn't believe how well the leftovers heated up. I put the chicken breasts in some chicken broth, black pepper, and a bay leaf. I poached the chicken about 15-20 min. (depending on how thick the chicken breasts were), and then shredded them. I saved the chicken broth from my cooking liquid for the broth needed in the recipe. Poaching chicken has so much flavor and it stays so juicy. I highly recommend this technique... I also added just a touch of tabasco sauce to the liquid mixture for some extra heat.

This was delish! I love casseroles, and this one had so many good flavors!

Great way to use up corn tortillas that are a little dry. Rather than cut strips, I used the whole tortilla or the broken halves. Delicious. Used fresh mozzarella cheese because that was what I had on hand and it was gooey and luscious without adding too much in the way of fat or calories.

We used our favorite salsa. This was very quick and easy. Next time, we'll add bell peppers, mushrooms, and black olives.