Family Dinner: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I have seen several versions of these all over the Internet, but this is mine.  I think I need to be upfront and let you know that our kids are not picky....or really, they try to be, but I am not having that crap.  And they also enjoy a little spice, so this recipe has a little heat, but you can adjust that easily to your own preference. I love casseroles, especially as the weather gets cooler. A simple one dish meal, a little effort to get all the ingredients together, and then you can chuck it in the oven and get to whatever you need to get done, which in my case is some driveway chalk drawings and soaking up the last bit of sun and warmth before we are forced indoors for the winter (ughhhhh).

I make my own enchilada sauce, but you can easily buy cans of sauce or the seasoning packet and save a few minutes. Another note, often I will cook a big batch of chicken breasts in the crock pot to shred and use in a couple of recipes throughout the week.  I didn't do that here, because I didn't plan ahead, but if you do, then this is reallllllly quick to throw together.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (or this amount already cooked shredded)
3 cups chicken broth (if you have your chicken cooked already, you just need 1 cup)
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely minced
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup cilantro (a small handful), minced
1 can black beans, rinsed
6 fat-free flour tortillas, cut into 1/8ths
1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
6 green onions, sliced
1 small can sliced black olives, drained

First, if you need to cook your chicken, cut off all the fat and gross vein-ey looking things, place your chicken breasts in a saucepan and cover with chicken broth.  Cook over medium-low heat until done, about 20-25 minutes.  Shred with forks, and set aside.  Reserve 1 cup of the broth for the enchilada sauce, and give the pan a quick rinse and wipe.


Next, you will need a large frying pan and your sauce pan.  Spray each pan with cooking spray, then I like to mince all my garlic at once.  Split the garlic between the two pans.  Next I like to make the sauce:  turn the saucepan on to medium, and sautee the garlic, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  While the garlic is cooking, mince up your chipotle peppers.  Add those to the pan, cook for another minute or so, then add tomato sauce, 1 cup of chicken broth, chipotle chile powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Continue to cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes.

Next, while the sauce is cooking, I dice my onion and add it to the frying pan with the garlic.  Begin to cook these over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.  While the onions are cooking, I dice up my green pepper, then add it to the pan, and cook an additional 3 minutes or so.  While this is cooking, I rinse my beans and dice my tomato and cilantro.  After the pepper starts to soften, I add the diced tomatoes, beans, and cilantro, mix and cook for another minute or 2, then stir in the shredded chicken.

Pre-heat the oven to 400, and spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.  Cover the bottom with half the cut up tortillas, then top with half the enchilada sauce.  Add the chicken mixture, the cover with the remaining tortilla strips.  Top with the remaing sauce, sprinkle with cheese, sliced green onions, and olives.  Cover with foil and bake until hot, 25-30 minutes.