Enchilada Enchantment

I found this recipe on one of my very favorite food blogs Pinch of Yum.  I was looking for inspiration.  I wasn't feeling all that energetic and I needed to create the menu for the week.  Needless to say, my inspiration needed to come in the form of a tasty looking picture with an accompanying recipe that had minimal ingredients and minimal EASY steps.  This one caught my attention right away.  We LOVE enchiladas.  This recipe has all the yum of enchiladas without having to dip, fill and roll.  In addition it is delicious!  We've added it to a regular rotation and enjoy making additions, substitutions and the like depending on what we have on hand and what sounds good.

So have the whole enchilada with this casserole tonight!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole  
* Adapted from Pinch of Yum food blog         

Ingredients:   

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 15-20 oz can of enchilada sauce (or make your own, but that is NOT minimal or easy)
• 2 cups of shredded cheese (I really enjoy medium cheddar on this!)
• 6-8 whole wheat flour tortillas (the size of the tortilla will determine the number you need)
• 1 can of refried beans (We prefer refried black beans.)
• 1 handful chopped cilantro
• 2-3 diced green onions  (optional, but a really great addition)

Method:

1. Cook and shred the chicken.  You can boil it or bake it.  Make sure if you bake it to use a pan with a lid and have plenty of water in the pan so the chicken doesn't become tough.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spread a couple spoonfuls of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X9 (or so) baking dish.
3. Place two tortillas at the bottom of the dish.  You can overlap them to cover the entire surface.  Then layer beans, chicken, cheese, cilantro, onions, sauce, and tortillas, then repeat once.  This will make 2 layers.      
   
• Make sure to keep some sauce and cheese to finish off the top of the casserole.
4. Cover the top of the casserole with the remaining sauce and cheese 
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes - golden brown and bubbling is what you want to see when you look in at it.
6. Let the casserole rest for about 15 minutes once you remove it from the oven.  You can also garnish with green onions and cilantro at this point.

Click here for printable recipe