Salsa Verde Honey Lime Pepper Jack Enchiladas

Last summer my family and I took a weekend trip to Oklahoma City. My husband’s band was playing a show and we also have dear friends originally from the area who now live in KC that traveled with us to show us around. One of the highlights of this fun trip was meeting my friend Lisa's friend, Carolyn who incidentally is now my friend. That's a whole lotta friend in one sentence. Lisa and I met Carolyn in Edmond, OK. at Cafe 501 for an afternoon drink and treat. The real treat was meeting my friend Carolyn for the first time. She and Lisa were neighbors when Lisa lived in Edmond so I knew I would like Carolyn because I love Lisa. I was right. Lovely people attract lovely people. Carolyn had been a follower of my blog for some time but we had never met in person until that day in July. Instant connection and friendship followed and we’ve kept in touch via social media; she always says we are "food soul mates" - is there any better kind of soul mate?! Not in my book. 

Since Carolyn and I have such similar taste in food I was not at all surprised when Lisa returned from Oklahoma in the fall with a jar of Carolyn’s lovingly homemade hatch green chile sauce that she had sent home with Lisa for me! What a joy to know a friend was thinking of me and sent me a food gift (the BEST kind of gift!) Like most of us would, I held onto that delicious jar of liquid gold, waiting until I found just the right dish to best put it to use. I decided on this recipe for enchiladas because I thought this sauce would make a great substitute for the salsa verde called for. Boy, was I right. The heat from the hatch chiles were set off by the honey, while the creaminess of the pepper jack cheese was just the ticket. I realize that you probably don't have a bottle of homemade hatch green chili sauce sitting around your house, so feel free to use salsa verde as I stated before. I'm just lucky enough to have awesome friends like Lisa and Carolyn who know how to speak my foodie love language!
 
Salsa Verde Honey Lime Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas (adapted from carlsbadcravings.com)

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. honey
1/2 c. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 T. chili powder
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. onion powder
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 (16 oz.) bottle salsa verde (I prefer Herdez), divided
8 flour tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory - 50 calories each)
2 c. grated pepper jack cheese, divided

Place the chicken breasts in a 4 qt. crock pot that has been sprayed with cooking spray. In a small bowl whisk together the honey, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. Shred the chicken and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray then pour 1/4 c. of the salsa verde evenly over the bottom, reserving the remaining salsa. Divide the cheese in half. You will use half inside the enchiladas and half will be sprinkled on top. Spread 1/8 of the chicken mixture onto a tortilla then sprinkle with cheese, roll, and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken and cheese. Pour the remaining salsa over the enchiladas then sprinkle with the remaining cheese, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and browned. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

8 servings (288 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com