A Muse in My Kitchen
Enchilada Casserole
Whoo! What a week this has been! I’m supposed to be slowing down preparing for my knee replacement surgery in a few weeks and life is escalating around me! I don’t mind as I seem to thrive on chaos.
And when life hands you chaos – make a casserole!
Casseroles offer comfort to the family table and this one is a keeper. Not only is it delicious and easy – it’s also gluten free!
Begin with two cans rinsed and drained beans – one can pinto, one can black beans. Add two cups of shredded chicken breast. You can use the already prepared rotisserie chickens from the store – I like to poach mine in water and shred. Add a handful of chopped cilantro and mix.
Saute one cup of chopped onions in two teaspoons of oil. If you want super easy, buy the pre-chopped onions in the store!
Add chicken mixture to onions along with two cups of enchilada sauce. I found this really good sauce “Bien Good” at a local Earth Fare store – it’s all organic, gluten free and full of flavor.
Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan with oil spray and place 3-4 torn corn tortillas in the bottom leaving no gaps. Spoon half the chicken mixture over the tortillas.
Add a layer of sliced avocado and top with the remaining chicken mixture.
Top with the remaining chicken mixture, another layer of torn tortillas and topped with another cup of enchilada sauce.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese (If going gluten free, you need to buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shedded cheese has flour in it to keep the cheese from sticking together.)
The final layer is sliced olives. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes.
Let cool lightly before cutting into squares. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of lime. Sorry – there are no baked photos – my family tore into it when it was out of the oven!
What I made a year ago – COOKED PUMPKIN!
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 3 cups enchilada sauce, divided
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground pepper
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- sour cream and lime slices for garnish
- Saute onions in 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- Poach 2 chicken breasts in water until cooked through and shred with two forks.
- Combine shredded chicken, beans and cilantro in a bowl.
- Add chicken mixture to sauteed onions with two cups of enchilada sauce, salt and pepper.
- Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan with PAM.
- Tear 3-4 corn tortillas into small pieces and layer in the bottom of the pan.
- Spread ½ the chicken mixture over the tortillas.
- Layer sliced avocados over chicken mixture, followed by the remaining chicken mixture.
- Top with 3-4 torn corn tortilla pieces and 1 cup of enchilada sauce.
- Top casserole with two cups shredded cheddar cheese and sliced black olives.
- Bake at 350 degree for 20 minutes.
- Let cool slightly before cutting into squares.
- Garnish with sour cream and slices of lime.
