This is another budget meal that Mr.W gobbled up, which was surprising, since it's a relatively healthy meal. I won't make any claims to authenticity as an enchilada--but it is an easy-fix meal that comes together very quickly to feed your hungry family.
Enchiladas are easy to make--and turning it into a casserole makes it even easier. It's a very flexible and personalizable recipe that can adapt to whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
serves 6-8
In a lightly oiled square baking dish, spoon some prepared enchilada sauce (or taco sauce, or salsa) onto the bottom--I would say between 1/4 and 1/3 cup. The purpose is to keep the tortillas from sticking and to keep them moist.
Top with corn or flour tortillas. I used corn, and cut them so they'd fit a little better in the square dish.
Next was the filling. I combined two poached chicken breasts, cubed, with about 3/4 cup black beans (about half a can, rinsed and drained) and 1/4 cup frozen corn niblets with another splash of enchilada sauce, salt and pepper. After a good stir, it went into the baking dish.
More corn tortillas topped the filling, again cut to fit. All together, I used only five tortillas. More enchilada sauce was spooned on top.
I added about 1 cup of shredded colby-jack cheese on top and baked in a preheated 350*F oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese melted.
Served beside a spinach salad with a lime vinaigrette, this was a tasty meal.
Obviously you can customize this recipe with whatever ingredients you like. You can add cheese to the filling, substitute pork, beef, fish or even cubed tofu for the chicken, or make a sour cream sauce instead of the red enchilada sauce. I've often used mojo criollo to keep fillings moist, which adds fantastic flavor.
7 comments:
Great minds think alike...this is a favorite wintery meal at our house, though usually we use a green chile or tomatillo-based sauce and extra green chiles for some heat! :)
Indeed! Kathy, you're always so clever! A green sauce sounds yummy, too.
My all-time enchilada favorite is pork tenderloin that I've cooked in the pressure cooker and fork-pulled, moistened only with mojo, rolled in flour tortillas and with canned spicy red enchilada sauce, topped with cheddar and baked--yummy!
Ok, I've totally bookmarked this recipe to make when I'm wanting to make my husband happy! He would totally inhale this!
Nice job. I like recipes where you just put stuff in a dish, cook it, and you have a delicious meal.
I hear ya, Mary. My husband told me that I could make this for him anytime. So easy! (And sneakily healthy... love that.)
Andy--thank you. And amen to that--I love throw together meals!
I think this is winning out as tonight's dinner since I have everything on hand already. Thanks for the suggestions :)
@JMom
My pleasure, @JMom! Hope y'all like it!
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