CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts


• 19 ounces (about 2 ½ cups) enchilada sauce


• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Mozzarella because I had it on hand)


• 6-8 small flour tortillas


• 1 can refried beans (I like Amy’s Organic Refried Black Beans – so yummy!)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook and shred the chicken. I do this by boiling a large pot of water and cooking the chicken breasts in the water for about 30 minutes until cooked through. Then I shred the chicken with 2 forks. You can do this ahead of time.


2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a glass square baking dish (mine was 9×9) to prevent sticking. Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of the dish, overlapping to cover the entire surface. Layer the beans, chicken, cheese, sauce, and tortillas; repeat once to make a total of 2 layers. For me this was about ⅓ cup refried beans, 1 cup of the chicken, ½ cup cheese, and about ¾ cup enchilada sauce in each layer.


3. Cover the top with the remaining enchilada sauce and 1 cup cheese. Cover the baking dish with well-oiled aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown and sauce is bubbling.


4. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving (otherwise it will be a soupy mess – delicious, but not ideal). Top with sliced green onions or cilantro.

 

NOTES

To get each layer completely covered with tortillas, I cut 2 additional tortillas into fourths and used them to cover the corners. This is not necessary but it helps when you layer your ingredients.