Green Chili Enchilada Bake

When you don't feel like making dinner or don't know what in the world to make for dinner, I highly recommend this recipe - green chili enchilada bake. Doesn't it sound delicious? 

I saw this recipe on Ms. Jenny Flake's blog, Picky Palate. If you have never checked out her website or cookbook (she just published one!), you must check her out. Here is the link to her site. Her blog and cookbook focus on family style food for even the pickiest of eaters. I know you know you have a few of those in your family! I have made a few of her dishes and they are fabulous and everyone always loves them. I don't know where she comes up with all her ingenious ideas, but they are pretty awesome. Today she posted about creamy junior mint hot cocoa. How good does that sound? I am already drooling. Hot cocoa is good enough on it's own, but with junior mints? Yummo!

See, here I go again getting all distracted. Lovely. Anyways, this enchilada bake is a piece of cake, or should I say, piece of casserole (that kind of sounds funny) to make. It's one of those recipes that you just dump it all in, mix and bake. Don't you just love that? I know I do. I love making elaborate and complicated dishes, but sometimes, it's nice to just step back and make something simple, easy and just as delicious. This recipe only takes a few ingredients which I am sure you already have most of in your kitchen - chicken breast, black beans, cheddar cheese, corn tortillas, sour cream, green enchilada sauce, and salsa verde. That's it! You seriously just mix everything together (you can even do it in the same pan you are going to bake it in!) and then top with cheese and bake. You can even make this in the morning (which I did) and then bake it when you get home. I had already bought everything the night before for dinner with the captain, but when we decided to have leftovers, I saved this for another night. Luckily, my dad and I had an impromptu dinner date that week, so I whipped this up in no time flat.

I decided to do a calorie count on this and it's only 350 filling calories for 1/8 of the 9x13 pan - which is a decent serving size! Winning! To reduce the calories a bit more, I decided to use high fiber corn tortillas in place of the plain white corn ones, fat free sour cream instead of light and then light Mexican blend cheese instead of cheddar. Of course you don't have to do that, but that's just another way to change it up a bit if you are watching your waste line like I am. I even added a little chopped green onion on top for color a little oniony flavor. Again, you don't have to do this, but it is a nice addition. It really doesn't get any easier or more delicious then that. Mix, dump, bake. Serve this dish with a big salad and some sliced tomato and avocado and you are good go. 

Bonus Note: this dish gets a Dad stamp of approval. He loved it!

ingredients (see the fiber tortillas - those are the best!)

mix everything in the pan

bake!

eat!

even better for lunch at work the next day!

Green Chili Enchilada Bake (slightly adapted from www.picky-palate.com)

1 cup mild green enchilada sauce
1 cup reduced fat sour cream (I used fat free here, but use what you like or have)
1 cup salsa verde, mild or spicy depending on taste
12 white corn tortillas broken into 1 inch pieces (I used high fiber corn ones, but use what you like)
2-3 cups cooked chicken breast
One 15 ounce can black beans, drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used reduced fat Mexican blend, but use what you like)
1/4 cup chopped green onion (optional) for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place enchilada sauce, sour cream and salsa into prepared baking sheet. Stir until well combined. Stir in broken tortillas, chicken and black beans. Stir to combine and top evenly with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is hot and melted. 

Makes 8 servings

Simple. Easy. Delicious.