CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE: PERFECT FALL DINNER

Everyone has one dish that they know will be a hit at parties and pot-lucks and tailgates. My “go-to” favorite is my version of Chicken Enchilada Casserole. Casseroles get a bad rap for being old-fashioned or a weird, gloppy mess consisting of different kinds of canned goods and processed foods. This casserole is different. It is simple and unfussy, yet still stands up to being served at any dinner party. You can take it to new parents or friends that have just moved or to a PTA luncheon and it will be a hit. Most kids love it (my one-year-old shovels it in), so it is perfect for any party where you have to feed children as well as adults. You can double the recipe and serve one casserole for dinner and freeze one casserole for another time. (This is what I do.) The accompaniments of Chile Cheese Rice and Roasted Corn and Black Bean Relish can also be prepared in advance.

This Chicken Enchilada Casserole along with the side dishes would be the perfect thing to serve on Halloween before or after a night of trick-or-treating. I hope you try it and enjoy it!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Baked, firm tofu can be substituted for the chicken.

4 cooked boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 can undiluted cream of mushroom soup
1 jar green salsa (Embasa, Old El Paso etc.)
1 small can diced green chilies
1/2 cup yellow or green onion, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, leaves only
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsps ground cumin
1 package large corn torillas cut into 1 inch strips
4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, jack or pepper jack, asadero, cotija, mozarella or a combination)
1 small can sliced black olives
Lime wedges and sour cream for serving

In large bowl combine chicken, soup, salsa, chilies, onion, cilantro, garlic, and cumin. Mix well.

In a lightly oiled 9 x 13 pan, layer ingredients as for lasagna in this order:

tortilla strips, chicken mixture, cheddar cheese
THEN
tortilla strips, chicken mixture, olives
THEN
tortilla strips, jack cheese

Bake covered with foil at 350 deg. for 45 min. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes more. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream.

The following side dishes round out the meal:

LIZZIE'S CHILE CHEESE RICE

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
16 oz sour cream
4-8 oz. diced green chilis
1/2 pound sliced or grated monterey jack cheese
1/4 pound grated cheddar cheese

Optional: 1/2 cup (green) salsa verde, handful each of chopped fresh cilantro and green onions

Cook 1 1/2 cups white rice per package directions to equal about 3 cups cooked. Preheat oven to 350º.

In a bowl, mix 16 oz. sour cream and 4-8 oz. diced green chilis (depends on how much flavor you want). In a round covered casserole dish layer rice, sour cream mix, and monterey jack cheese and continue layering until casserole dish is full. End with rice layer on top. Cook (covered) for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake another 5 minutes. Serve hot. Note: I never have time to layer this so i just mix everything together adding the optional ingredients above for more “punch.” It always comes out great.

ROASTED CORN AND BLACK BEAN RELISH

1 clove garlic
1/2 yellow onion chopped
olive oil
1 package Trader Joe’s roasted corn (or a 10 oz package of regular frozen corn)
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
handful of cilantro leaves to garnish

In a saute or frying pan, saute garlic and onion in a drizzle (about a tablespoon) of olive oil until onions are transluscent. Stir often. Add corn and a tablespoon of water and cook until corn is heated through. Add beans and cook until beans are heated through. Taste for salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

(excerpted from a parenting site for which I write)

Comments

[Mahala]

Wow, this sounds wonderful. Mad props for including sides as well! Will try it this week and report back to you.

[ann]

I made the enchilada casserole this week and it was terrific. We all enjoyed it, including the 10 month old! I assembled it the night before, popped it in the fridge and baked it after work. This is entering the regular rotation!

[Marlene/mm]

The Chicken Enchilada Casserole was deeeelicious! Quick and easy to assemble. I bet it'll taste even better today. I agree, it's in the rotation!

[Beth]

I'm making the casserole (again!) tonight. Soooo good, and freezes really well, too. Thanks!

[molly cyr]

I KNEW this recipe would be here. Awesome!

[Bizimama]

I can't wait to try the Chicken Enchilada recipe,it looks yummy! You should check out my Beef Taco Bake recipe on my blog,which can also be made with ground turkey.

Bizimama
www.bizimama.com
www.lordsart.com

[QSMama / Lea]

This casserole rocks! I finally got around to making it for the first time the other night. Oh, YUM. Now, as I write this, I'm eating a big bowl for lunch, and it's just as good as when it came out of the oven.

I used a variety of cheeses that were in the drawer--cheddar and monterery jack, mostly. Next time, I might think about a pepper jack, too, and might experiement with some finely diced red bell pepper and corn. Or that might be too much work. :)

Trader Joe's inexpensive jar of salsa verde ($1.69, I think) worked great. Since we get ingredients shipped from New Mexico, I might also try adding some green chile powder in the future for a little punch. Mmmm, green Tabasco on top would've been good, too.

But, it's great just as-is. This will be a regular feature around here!

- L

[Elisabeth]

This sounds perfect! I'm making dinner for my neighbor Friday night...she just had a baby! Thank you for sharing this.