Easy Chicken Enchilada Tortellini Bake **

We were a house divided on this one.  Hubby and one of the kids loved it.  The other kid and I thought it was just so-so.  Honestly, to me, the enchilada taste is just overpowering.  Combining it with the Rotel makes the sauce way too runny.  If I made it again (which I won't), I would probably use a drained can of stewed tomatoes and a can of green chilies.  To give it a bit more bulk.  I'd also mix a little cheese into it before adding it to the tortellini.  I did add a drained can of corn and a drained can of black olives, just to give it some taste other than the enchilada sauce, and I think that's all that saved it for us.  Oh!  It actually might be better if you just used one can of the enchilada sauce and added a carton of sour cream.  That could be pretty good.  Might have to try that one now!

EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADA TORTELLINI BAKE

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ ThisGalCooks)

2-1/2 cups of cooked chicken breast. I've included instructions below for slow cooking but you could use a rotisserie chicken, too.

2 (9oz) packages of refrigerated tortellini. I used Butoni Roasted Garlic and Cheese.

1 (14.5oz) can of spicy red pepper diced tomatoes

1 (15oz) can of all natural enchilada sauce. I used this brand.

1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican Cheese (you can also used shredded cheddar)

1. To Slow Cook the Chicken: If slow cooking the chicken, spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Place two split chicken breasts (with the bones and skin - keeps it tender) in the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt, pepper and ground chipotle pepper, if desired. Place ½ C chicken broth in the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from the bones, remove the skin and shred.

For using Rotisserie Chicken: Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken. Pull the chicken breasts from the bones and shred with a fork.

2. Preheat oven to 400.

3. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Once done cooking, drain and return to the pot.

4. Prepare the sauce. Place the enchilada sauce and the diced tomatoes into a blender and blend. You can also place these two items into a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender.

5. Prepare the tortellini bake. Add the chicken to the pot with the tortellini. Mix well. Then add desired amount of sauce to the pot. I used about 3/4 of the sauce. The remaining sauce can be stored in an air tight container in a refrigerator for up to a week. Mix everything well and then pour into a 1.5 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the shredded Mexican cheese.

6. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. After baking, if desired, turn on the broiler to high and broil for about 5 minutes to brown the cheese.