Layered Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Layered Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
This recipe has been around the block many times. It was a standby at our home growing up, but today, I’ve revised it to reduce the fat content while maintaining the fabulous signature flavors of mild green chilies, corn tortillas and chicken all immersed in a creamy, cheesy sauce. My mother’s sauce always included cream of chicken soup, which is a product I’ve used, but try to avoid because it is highly processed and contains a lot of sodium and fat. Occasionally I’ll use the healthier reduced-fat version, but today I’m using a blend of bottled salsa verde, reduced-fat cream cheese and fat-free half and half along with reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend to achieve the same ooey-gooey yummy flavors we’ve all come to adore. You can also try making your own salsa verde HERE. Layering the tortillas is a big time-saver with this recipe. Just rip the tortillas into strips and layer them between the chicken and cheese. This dish is a great make-ahead recipe, perfect for guests and a quick reheated family dinner.
It’s so nice to have cooked chicken breasts on hand. I’ve loved Costco’s rotisserie chickens and now they package just the cooked chicken in sealed packs of about 3 pounds each available for about $12.99. They’ve done the tedious work of removing the bones for us. How nice of them. Pick up two packs and throw the other one in the freezer for later. On other occasions I bring home boneless, skinless chicken breasts; arrange them single layer in a glass baking dish, cover them with chicken broth and bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes until done. This leaves me with ready-to-go cooked chicken for a bunch of recipes at my finger tips (see below). So helpful!
- Layered Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Cooking Spray
- 1 (24-ounce) jar mild or medium salsa verde (I use La Victoria Salsa Verde Thick and Chunky)
- 3/4 cup fat-free half and half
- 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 4 cups)
- 1 (4-ounce) can mild diced green chilies
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn into 2-inch diameter strips
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
- Light sour cream
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine salsa verde, half and half and cream cheese in a medium bowl, stirring to blend. Stir in shredded chicken, green chilies and garlic.
- Spoon 1/3 cup of chicken mixture on bottom of baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of tortilla strips over the chicken mixture, covering to the edges. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining chicken mixture over the tortilla strips. Spread 1/3 of the cheese over the chicken mixture. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes or until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Notes
Make ahead through step 3 and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Then bake as directed.
You might also enjoy:
Lemon Basil Chicken over Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
Grilled Chicken Artichoke Pizza with Herb Garlic Sauce
