Chicken Enchilada Bake

This recipe today is one of those store cupboard recipes that you can make up very easily when you have some meat leftover from a roast chicken or a roast turkey.  It uses things I normally always have in my cupboard.  Yes, as a North American I do keep mexican style ingredients at the ready.  I do love Tex-Mex food.

 

This is a recipe which I adapted from one I discovered on Pinch of Yum . It looked really simple and like something we would both enjoy, plus it used ingredients that I always have in the cupboard.  Refried Beans, enchilada sauce,  and corn tortillas.  Other than that you only need cheese and cooked chicken.



I always have chicken breasts in the freezer and it's very easy to poach a couple when I need them.  I simply put them in a saucepan and cover them with water, bring it to a boil and then simmer them until they are cooked through.  They always end up tender and moist and ready to use in a recipe just like this.

 

I used 30% lower fat cheddar cheese for this.  Strong cheddar in a white and an orange for colour.   It worked really well together.   The refried beans were really nice in them as well.  I also used low fat refried beans, and corn tortillas.  I used El Paso Enchilada Sauce.



It was really delicious!  Simple to make.   Economical and as it turns out not that caloric,  especially if you use lower fat cheese.   You could also make your own enchilda sauce from scratch if you were so inclined.

*Chicken Enchilada Bake*

Serves10 - 12

Printable Recipe  

This is a delicious and easy casserole to make.  It's even easier if you keep shredded poached chicken breast meat in the freezer like I do.  It makes a littl emeat go a long way! 

2 poached chicken breast fillets, shredded (about 1 pound)

625ml of enchilada sauce (about 2 1/2 cups)

(I use El Paso, or make my own from scratch.  You can also do that ahead and

have it in the freezer)

250g of grated strong cheddar cheese (2 cups)

(I used a mix of orange and white 30% lower fat cheddar)

8 smaller sized corn tortillas

1 can of refried beans (I use the low fat ones)

To garnish: (optional)

chopped spring onions

sour cream

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Lightly spray a 9 inch square baking dish with low fat cooking spray.

Spoon a portion of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish.  Cut your tortillas in half.  Place two, cut sides on the outer edges of the dish, into the pan.  They will overlap in the middle,  but that's okay.  Top with 1/2 of the refried beans and 1/2 of the chicken.  Sprinkle on 1/3 of the cheese and spoon over 1/3 of the remaining enchilada sauce.  Repeat the layers.  Top with the remaining two tortillas, cut in half, same as before and overlapping a bit in the middle.  Spread the remaining enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.  Spray a sheet of foil, large enough to cover with some low fat cooking spray and cover the baking dish sealing it around the edges.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.   Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is starting to brown and the sauce is bubbling.

Let stand for about 15 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Garnish with sour cream and sliced spring onions.





(Nutritional values based on regular ingredients not low fat ingredients.   If you use low fat ingredients the fat content will be considerably lower.  I served a salad on the side.