Yesterday I was struck with the inspiration to make
enchiladas. But not just any
enchiladas. I wanted a healthy
enchilada casserole (meaning it’s layered rather than rolled) with a green
sauce and I wanted to make homemade corn tortillas. Spoiler alert: I didn’t make the homemade tortillas.
While searching online for some different recipes, I found
one for a homemade green enchilada sauce.
Feeling ambitious, I decided to make it.
I made the sauce last night and it turn out well.
The recipe is from
Our Best Bites and it is delicious.
Side note:
you can use this sauce for more than just enchiladas.
It would taste great even as just a salsa with tortilla
chips.
Tonight I made the enchiladas. As I said, I had originally planned to make homemade corn
tortillas. That plan failed when I
couldn’t find masa at the grocery store, so I bought corn tortillas
instead. I’m glad I didn’t end up
making it, I think it was a little too much to do after work. I would like to try it though when I
have more time.
I started by cooking and then shredding the chicken
breast. On the stove I mixed the
chicken with some low-fat plain greek yogurt, reduced fat cheddar cheese,
oregano, and black pepper to the skillet.
I cooked that until the cheese melted. Important note about the cheese: the recipe I was adapting
for a healthier enchilada called for reduced fat cheddar cheese, which I used
and it worked great. I do not
recommend using fat free cheese. I
can tell you from experience that the fat free type does not melt well.
I then added the green sauce, chili powder, and black beans.
I cooked this for a while because
it was watery and I thought it might thicken up. It didn’t really thicken, but in the end it worked out okay
because I was able to scoop up the mixture and strain some of the watery sauce
out.
I put a thin layer of green sauce on the bottom of my 9x13
casserole dish.
I then put a layer
of corn tortilla down, covering the whole bottom.
I did this by cutting the tortillas in half and put the flat
ends along the edges of the dish.
They were overlapped in places.
I scooped out the chicken mixture and put that on top of the
tortillas.
I used most of it,
stopping when it was getting close to the top.
As I said, I tried not to use too much of the extra
liquid.
I put another layer of
corn tortillas on top, followed by another layer of green sauce and
cheese.
It was then ready to stick
in the oven.
It turned out yummy and the fact that it’s healthy makes it
even better! I can’t wait to have
leftovers tomorrow.
P.S. In my excitement to try the dish I didn't get a good picture of the finished enchilada. I know my picture of a half eaten casserole doesn't look as appetizing but it tasted great. Next time I'll get a better picture.
Enchilada Casserole with Green Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts (skinless
and boneless)
2 Cups (or 2 single
servings) of plain low-fat greek yogurt
4 Cups shredded reduced-fat
cheddar cheese
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground black pepper
4 Cups green enchilada sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 can (15 ounces) of canned black beans
15-18 (approx) corn tortillas
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Broil chicken in the oven until cooked thoroughly, about 10
minutes each side. There should be
no pink remaining inside. Shred or
cube chicken. In a large skillet
on the stove, mix the chicken, greek yogurt, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, oregano,
and ground black papper. Heat on
medium for about five minutes, until cheese is melted. Add 2 cups of green sauce, chili
powder, and black beans.
Spread thin layer of green sauce on the bottom of a 9x13
casserole dish. Layer corn
tortillas on top. Spoon chicken
and cheese mixture on top of tortillas.
Sprinkle on 1 cup cheddar cheese.
Add another layer of corn tortillas. Top with a layer of green sauce and 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool before serving.
