Chicken Enchilada Casserole

"What is this?" I asked, staring at my plate, "I ordered a chicken enchilada, but this...doesn't look right." I took my fork and moved it around, realizing that it appeared remarkably similar to something I used to eat at home, but something was off: corn tortillas were used instead of flour; a red sauce was used instead of white; the filling comprised of a red-toned pulled chicken and melted cheese instead of the anticipated peppers, onions, and cilantro. Ha, oh yes, I was a child exposed to only one version of a dish that actually takes a number of forms across Latin American cultures. The Chicken Enchilada Casserole written about here is something I have had on many occasions. It was the perfect family dinner dish with an invitation to friends and extensions of the family to partake. Naturally, preparing it for a family-style potluck at my place fit perfectly into what I know and love. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

Servings: 12-14

Prep Time: ~1hr

Filling

1 Cup White Onion, Chopped

1 ½ Cup (total) Green, Red, Yellow Bell Peppers

1 Jalapeño

3 Tablespoons Butter, Unsalted

3 Cups Chicken, cooked, pulled

1 4oz can Green Chili Peppers, Diced

2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

Sauce

3 Tablespoons Butter, Unsalted

¼ Cup Flour, all-purpose + 1 Tablespoon

4 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

¾ Teaspoon Salt

2 ½ Cups Chicken Broth

1 Cup Sour Cream

2 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

12 6-inch Four Tortillas, Light
Substitute a flavored cheese for a tasty alternative!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the chicken in a large pot (on or off the bone). This can take 12-20 minutes pending water heat, pot size, and chicken quantity. Set aside to cool, then pull apart and place in a large bowl. In a large saucepan, cook the onions, bell peppers and jalapeño in the two tablespoons of butter until tender.  Combine with chicken, add the diced green chili peppers and cilantro and set aside.

Melt three tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan.  Stir in the flour, cilantro, and salt until thick.  Pour in all of the chicken broth. Cook for an additional 2-5 minutes on medium-high heat until thickened and well-stirred.  Remove from heat.  Continue stirring and add the sour cream and 3/4 cup of the monterey jack cheese.  Stir ½ cup of sauce into the chicken mixture.

Scoop ¼ cup of the chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it up, placing into a 13 x 9 baking pan.   Pour remaining sauce over all of the rolls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake uncovered at 350 for about 25 minutes until the edges become a golden color. Note - I used an additional 9 x 9 baking pan to spread this version across more servings.

Calories 282, Total Fat: 15.9g, Sat. Fat: 9.4g, Cholesterol: 57.5mg, Sodium: 650.6mg, Carb: 21.6g, Fiber: 6.7g, Sugars: 2.7g, Protein: 17.5g