Enchilada Casserole

Enchiladas are tedious to roll. I have found the lasagna layer method to be much quicker and tastes the same. Of coarse I stuff as much vegetables as I can into it and love to make it all from scratch including the sauce and the tortillas. I recently did a cooking class for a beginner and simplified this recipe greatly. You can have it in the oven with only 15 minutes of prep time. Still nutritious and tastes great.

2 teaspoons. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
2 teaspoon salt
3 cups spinach, chopped or 3 cups grated zucchini
2 cups cooked brown rice (millet and quinoa work nicely too)
1 lb shredded chicken
1/2 cups corn
1 recipe enchilada sauce
18 corn tortillas
4 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Saute onions and peppers with salt in olive oil, 5 minutes. Cook spinach until wilted. Once softened add rice, chicken and corn to make filling. Pour 3/4 cup sauce to coat bottom of 9x13 pan. Layer 6 tortillas, spread half the filling on the tortillas, sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer tortillas, filling, cheese again and finish with a layer of tortillas, pouring sauce over entire dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until cheese is browned in spots.

Enchilada Sauce

3 cups boiling chicken stock
2 tablespoon chili powder
3 cloves smashed garlic
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Let chili powder and garlic steep in hot stock for 10 minutes. Blend in blender. Cook butter and flour in sauce pan on medium heat for 3 minutes, add spices, coca powder and salt. Slowly stir in the chicken stock. Let simmer 5 minutes, then add honey and vinegar. Make a double batch and freeze or can extra.

Simplified

12 ounces canned chicken
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups spinach, chopped (or shredded zucchini)
4 ounces diced green chilies
1/3 cups corn
12 ounces Trader Joe's enchilada sauce
9 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Saute onions with salt in olive oil, 5 minutes. Add spinach, cook until wilted. Once softened add chilies, chicken and corn to make filling. Pour 1/3 cup sauce to coat bottom of 8x8 pan. Layer 3 tortillas, spread half the filling on the tortillas, sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Layer tortillas, filling, cheese again and finish with a layer of tortillas, pouring sauce over entire dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cheese is browned in spots.

links; Whole Foods for the Holidays