I made this the other night and everyone loved it. I haven’t been making as many casseroles lately, so this was a nice change. The enchiladas weren’t overly saucy or cheesy but they had great flavor. We served ours with homemade salsa and black bean and corn relish. We also had some delicious semi-homemade refried beans- recipe listed below.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients:

3 cups red enchilada sauce

16 corn tortillas, halved

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

8 green onions, thinly sliced

4 cups (about 1.5 pounds) shredded cooked chicken

3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend cheese

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1/2 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Pour about 3/4 cup enchilada sauce in the baking dish, and spread until the bottom of the dish is coated. Top with a layer of about 8 tortilla halves so that the entire dish is covered. Sprinkle evenly with about 1 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn and a fourth of the green onions. Then sprinkle with a heaping cup of the chicken, and about 3/4 cup shredded cheese.

Repeat with a second layer of tortillas, then sauce, then beans, corn, green onions, chicken, and cheese. Then a final layer of tortillas, sauce, beans, corn, green onions, chicken and cheese. Then conclude with a final layer of tortillas and sauce (reserving about 3/4 cup of cheese to add partway through baking).

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan and remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas evenly with the remaining 3/4 cup of cheese, then return to the oven (uncovered) and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove pan, and sprinkle with avocado, cilantro, and remaining green onions. Serve warm.

Semi-Homemade Refried Beans
Ingredients:

2 T. Olive oil

1 T garlic, minced

1/4 onion, finely chopped

2 -3 T jalapeño, finely chopped, or more to taste

1/2 tsp cumin, or more to taste

3 corn tortillas, torn or cut into small pieces

2 –  30 ounce cans of whole pinto beans, 1 drained, 1 not drained. Save the liquid from the drained can to be sure you don’t need it.

In large sauce pan add olive oil, garlic, onion and jalapeño and cook until onions start to turn translucent. Add in the corn tortilla pieces and mix well. Cook for a few minutes, and if all the oil is absorbed, add a bit of the bean liquid and keep cooking- you want the tortillas to soften up a bit. Pour in the 1 undrained can of beans and the 1 drained can of beans and mix well. I use my potato masher and mix and mash. Continue cooking, mixing and smashing. Add in the cumin and mix some more. Let simmer so the corn tortillas soften up. Continue cooking until beans reach the desired consistency. You may need to add a bit more of the bean liquid depending on how you like your beans. I turned beans off after 15 or so minutes and then turned them back on just before serving. I didn’t need to add any additional salt, but be sure and taste yours. Serve with the delicious chicken enchilada recipe.

Cindy