Chicken Enchilada Skillet —rsquo; The One-Pot Meal That Says We’re Still Here

MLK Day. The breakfast at First African is back — small, limited, masked, but back. I sat in the third pew, left side, for the first time in ten months. The pew felt different. Not the wood — the wood is the same wood that's been there for two hundred years. The air. The air felt different. Lighter. Like the church was breathing again after holding its breath since March.

Deacon Harris gave his speech. Year thirty-four. His voice is thinner now — he's seventy-four and the year has aged him — but the words were the same: justice, love, the long arc. I sat and I listened and I cried behind my mask because I was in my pew and the choir was singing and the church was alive and the virus didn't win. Not here. Not in this room. Not in this family of faith that has survived everything from slavery to a pandemic and keeps coming back to the same pews, the same hymns, the same God.

After the service, Gladys found me in the parking lot. We looked at each other. She said, "Dot." I said, "Gladys." She opened her arms. I opened mine. We hugged in the parking lot of First African Baptist Church and we held each other for a long time, and she smelled like perfume and cobbler and fifty years of friendship, and I said, "Your cobbler was good this year." She said, "Yours was better." I said, "I know." She laughed. I didn't. The cobbler was better. Facts are facts.

Made chicken bog for MLK Day. The tradition. The comfort. The one-pot meal that says: we are still here, we are still cooking, the kitchen light is still on.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Chicken bog is the tradition in my house — has been for years — but the spirit behind it is what I wanted you to feel: one pot, one kitchen, one family still standing. The Chicken Enchilada Skillet carries that same energy. It’s bold, it’s warm, it feeds a crowd, and it comes together in a single pan, which means you’re not cleaning dishes when you should be sitting down with the people who matter. After a year like this one, after sitting back in my pew and holding Gladys in that parking lot, this is the recipe I want in your hands: something that says, plainly and without apology, that the kitchen light is still on.

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 small corn tortillas, cut into strips or quarters
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican-blend cheese
• Sour cream, sliced green onions, and fresh cilantro, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the chicken. Toss the chicken pieces with cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
2. Brown the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on the outside and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Build the base. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
4. Add the liquid and beans. Pour in the enchilada sauce and diced tomatoes (with their juices). Stir in the black beans and corn. Bring to a simmer.
5. Return the chicken. Add the browned chicken back to the skillet and stir to combine. Tuck the tortilla strips into the mixture, pressing them down slightly so they absorb the sauce.
6. Simmer and meld. Cook everything together over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortillas have softened and the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
7. Melt the cheese. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the skillet. Cover with a lid and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
8. Serve straight from the pan. Top with sour cream, sliced green onions, and fresh cilantro. Bring the skillet to the table and let everyone help themselves.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 415 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 870mg