Chicken Enchilada Casserole

In my last post, I mentioned a Chicken Enchilada Casserole and several people have asked me to post that recipe as well. I never intended to do a recipe blog, but maybe that is what this will turn out to be. I do LOVE new recipes and have often said "I never met a new recipe I didn't like!" Seriously, I get bored very easily in the kitchen and love trying out new things. It would be fine by me to make a new thing every time I cook, but there are some people living in my house who would protest that program! They have some favorites and expect to smell them cooking every so often.

This is one of my personal favorites and a great dish for company. The first time I had it, I was the company! :)

Layered Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas

2 c. chopped, cooked chicken breasts
Chopped fresh cilantro (1/4 to 1/2 c.)
2 - 15 oz. cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 4.5 oz/ can chopped green chiles
1 - 10 oz. can enchilada sauce (your choice - mild, medium or hot)
small onion, finely chopped
8 - corn tortillas, six inch size
2 c. shredded colby - monterey jack cheese
8 oz. light sour cream

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Spray 13 x 9 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
- Combine chicken, cilantro, beans, onions & chiles in a bowl and mix well.
- Spoon 2 T. of the enchilada sauce in bottom of dish
- Spread 4 tortillas over sauce, overlapping if necessary
- Spoon half the chicken mixture over tortillas
- Spread 1/3 of the cheese over chicken mixture
- Spoon half the remaining sauce and half the sour cream randomly over cheese.
- Repeat the layers; tortillas, chicken, 1/3 cheese, sauce
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes
- Uncover, sprinkle last 1/3 of cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

A couple thoughts:
For the chicken, I usually just bake up some breasts beforehand, using a little olive oil, salt & pepper. But you could use a rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken - or even marinate it with something special. It's not a big deal. My husband is not a huge fan of the black beans, so now I double the amount of chicken and only use 1 can of beans. Don't freak out about the size of your baking dish, the original recipe called for a 12 x 8 dish but I only have a 9 x 13 and it works fine. Sometimes I mix the enchilada sauce and the sour cream and just pour it on the casserole that way. Depends on my mood. :)

Es sabroso!

Julianne

p.s. ~ I simply cannot type the word ENCHILADA - every single time in this post, I originally typed ENCHILDA. What the heck is an "enchilda" anyway? Does everyone suffer from this syndrome? I am married to a man named Brian, but I almost always type "Brain" instead. Do you have words you do this with? I have quite a list going. I would love to hear about yours!