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Cinco de Mayo: Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Source of Recipe

Tracy Lynn Baughman


List of Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
Garlic salt
18 corn tortillas
1 (28-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 (8-ounce) container low-fat sour cream






Recipe

Prepare chicken: Season chicken well with garlic salt and bake in a covered dish at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and tear meat into shreds with two forks. Set aside.


Prepare tortillas: One by one, slightly char each tortilla over a gas burner. To do this, place tortillas directly on burner with flame set to medium and turn over every 10 seconds or so with a metal tongs. Each tortilla will take 1 minute or less to char. The tortillas may puff a bit and
will get tiny burned areas, but do not let them catch fire. Also, do not let them cook so long they dry out and turn into tostada bottoms. As tortillas are done, stack on a plate on top of each other, so they remain soft. Cut stack of tortillas in half. (If time is short and you want to skip the charring step, simply tear the tortillas into fourths so they absorb the sauce better, and proceed.)

Assemble casserole: Pour about 1/2 cup sauce in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish (glass or metal) and spread over bottom. Place the equivalent of 6 tortillas flat on the bottom, overlapping as necessary. Sprinkle on 1/2 of the shredded chicken, 1/3 of the shredded cheese, spread on 1/2 of the sour cream and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat with the equivalent of 6 more tortillas, then rest of chicken, half of remaining cheese, rest of sour cream and half of remaining sauce. For final layer, dip the last 6 tortillas (equivalent) in remaining sauce to coat entirely and place on top in overlapping layers. (This is so the top won't end up dry; it is important so don't skip this step.) Sprinkle on remaining cheese and top with any remaining sauce.

Cover (with a lid or with foil) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (To keep the cheese on the top of the casserole from sticking to the foil, spray the foil with some non-stick cooking spray before fitting foil on top of dish.)Remove from oven, let cool for 5 or more minutes, and cut into squares to serve.

YIELD: 8 Servings


TESTER'S NOTE: We found it easier to layer the tortillas if we cut them in half after charring. That way they were easier to fit into all the corners of the pan.

VARIATION: For an even milder and creamier version for kids, omit the sour cream and stir 1 (11.5-ounce) can low-fat Cream of Chicken soup into the enchilada sauce, and proceed with recipe.

ANOTHER VARIATION: For a zippier version, add 1 (4-ounce) can of diced green chiles to the enchilada sauce.

MOM!MOM! NOTES: After making so many casseroles, I was not in the mood to char tortillas and I do not have a gas stove. I skipped this step as it is allowed in the recipe and it was still excellent.