Enchilada Casserole by Colleen
This is unabashed comfort food.
I haven't been cooking much. Or just the normal things like roast chicken and burgers.
I was contemplating making an enchilada casserole today. It isn't cooking, but assembly. Comfort food. Good with a cold beer. Here is the basic plan:
Enchilada Casserole
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken (use leftovers or roast chicken breast at 375 for about 45 minutes and shred.)
1 package white or yellow corn tortillas
1 can Rotel (tomatoes and chilies)
1 can diced green chilies
3 cups shredded Mexican cheese or cheddar/jack blend
1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced thin or chopped up
1 can Las Palmas Green Enchilada sauce
In a big bowl, mix together chicken, 1 cup cheese, can of Rotel, diced chilies, roasted red peppers, 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce (If you have leftover rice you can add a cup of that, or any other veg (corn, tomatoes,) you might want to use up.)
You can either roll individual enchiladas (soften tortillas in a damp towel in the micro first and dip in enchilada sauce) or layer tortillas with chicken mixture, and cheese like a lasagne. Put a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of 9x12 casserole first and then add the layers or the rolled enchiladas. Pour remaining sauce into crevices. Top with layer of cheese and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until heated through. Serve with sour cream and Mexican beer. Great for leftovers. You can assemble ahead and then bake prior to serving.
(Later)
So I did something a little different this time.
Chicken, cheese, roasted red peppers, rotel, green chilis, enchilada sauce,
CHECK.
But added a few new layers:
Layer of fresh sliced tomatoes.
Layer of 1 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup chopped basil and about 1 teaspoon
Penzeys garlic
Stacked the tortillas, chicken mixture, cheese, then more tortillas, chicken, sliced tomatoes, sour cream mixture, tortillas, cheese. Bakes at 350 for about 45 minutes to get to 165.
--Colleen