Chicken Verde Enchilada Bake

I don’t have much patience for rolling enchiladas; I’m kind of lazy that way.   I also don’t like cutting into their gooey layer of cheese after they bake. I always end up slicing one in half and then the filling spills out of the tortilla.  I know, I know, these are real problems.  

Well, several years back a little light bulb went off in my head.  Why not tear the tortillas and layer the dish like the ever popular King Ranch Chicken Casserole?  I tried it and I loved how it turned out so I’ve been doing it ever since!  A rotisserie chicken picked up on your way home from work would be perfect in this dish.  The sauce comes together pretty quick and you’ll have dinner on the table in a flash.  The dish also freezes well, and the recipe is easily doubled so you could have a dinner ready for another night.

For those of you who are on Pinterest, I would love for you to follow me here, you’ve probably seen the hint about shredding chicken in your Kitchen Aid stand mixer.  I tried it, and it works wonderfully.  Just put the warm cooked chicken in the bowl of your mixer, I did 2 breasts at a time, cut into thirds.  Turn your mixer on to about speed 2 and let it blend for about 2 minutes.  Don’t blend it too fast or you’ll end up with chicken paste and watch it for the consistency you prefer.   

Chicken Verde Enchilada Bake

2  pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked and shredded

2  cups (8 ounces) shredded Queso Cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese

¼  cup vegetable oil

1  large onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)

4  cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)

¼  cup flour

2  cups chicken broth

1  can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1  can (7 ounces) diced green chilies

1  teaspoon dried basil

1  teaspoon dried oregano

1  teaspoon cumin

½  teaspoon salt

½  teaspoon black pepper

¼  cup chopped fresh Cilantro

12  corn tortillas

1  cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican Blend cheese (let’s be honest, I used a little more!)

Combine the shredded chicken and the Queso or Monterey Jack cheese in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté about 5 minutes until tender.  Add garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  Add flour and continue cooking 1-2 minutes until bubbly.  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, green chilies, basil, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the ¼ cup of fresh cilantro. 

Spread about ½ cup of the Chili Verde Sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.  Top with 6 corn tortillas torn into bite size pieces.  Layer with ½ of the chicken mixture, evenly spread about 1 ½  cups of the Chili Verde Sauce over the chicken.  Top with the remaining 6 corn tortillas torn into bite size pieces and the rest of the chicken mixture.  Spread the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the cup of Mexican Blend Cheese.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbly.

Enjoy!

Kim


I linked this recipe up to the Church Supper over at Everday Moms Meals.  Check it out for yummy recipes!