Chicken Enchilada Casserole A complicated recipe that's worth the wait
Ingredients:
-Cooking spray
-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
-1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
-1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
-1/3 cup (3 oz.) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
-1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-2 cups chopped onion, divided
-6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
-1 cup fat-free lower-sodium chicken broth
-2/3 cup salsa verde
-1/4 cup water
-3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno pepper
-9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
-1/4 cup (1 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
-Preheat Oven to 425.
-Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; saute 4 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 425 for 1
0 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Shred chicken and place in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) to chicken; toss to combine.
0 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Shred chicken and place in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) to chicken; toss to combine.-Return pan to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion; saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 garlic cloves; saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to chicken mixture; stir to combine.
-Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, remaining 3 garlic cloves, broth, salsa, 1/4 cup water, and jalapeno in medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour mixture into a blender; add 2 tablespoons cilantro. Process until smooth.
-Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas from pan; repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters.
-Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 12 tortilla quarters over salsa mixture. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Pour remaining salsa mixture over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with remaining cilantro. Yields 4 servings.
Nutrition info: 371 calories per serving
Cheers! Try a Spanish wine or beer.
Origin: Our savior, Cooking Light.
Notes: Don't get frustrated. This recipe takes quite a while and has many steps. If you hate cilantro, leave it out. The original recipe calls for chicken thighs on the bone, but I think boneless chicken is so much easier to work with. Bon Appetit!
