Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I know I love warm, gooey, comfort food in the winter. I also know that while I love to cook, there are also those nights where I want to be able to just throw something in a pan and be done. Casseroles are of course awesome options for both comfort food, and fast, easy dinners.

My recipe for Chicken Enchilada Casserole isn't MY recipe really, but more my adaptations of several recipes that I have read/tried. A recipe born more from desperation than serious contemplation. I wanted Chicken Enchilada Casserole, but I didn't have all of the ingredients for any of the recipes I found. So I gathered up what I did have threw it together and said a prayer...and you know what? It was delicious. I have made it two or three more times the same way to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and it was just as tasty each time.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

• 3 C Cooked and Seasoned Chicken
• 15 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
• 8 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
• 3/4 C Salsa Verde
• 2 Cloves Garlic, diced
• 14.5 oz Can of Black Beans
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 10 Corn Tortillas
• 2 C Chedddar Cheese

Preheat your oven to 350°. Prepare your chicken using your method of choice. I used boneless skinless breasts, seasoned and then cooked on a grill pan, but you could use any method you want or even use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. When you chicken is cooked shred it. In a large pot add garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salsa verde and cook on medium heat until it starts to simmer. Add cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is melted and incorporated. Add chicken and black beans. While mixture continues to simmer, tear up tortillas into pieces and layer half of the pieces into the bottom of a casserole dish. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese to the mixture in the pot and remove from heat. Stir to incorporate cheese and then pour half the mixture over the first layer of tortillas. Add second layer of tortillas and top with the rest of the chicken mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

So easy, so yummy, and also pretty versatile. I topped mine with sour cream and cilantro, the hubs put diced jalapenos on his. Below are some other variations that you might want to try!

Counting calories? Replace cream cheese with Greek yogurt, and sub out regular cheese for reduced fat cheese for a healthier meal.

Going Vegetarian? Skip the chicken and add more beans and/or corn, grilled squash or other veggies!

Like it spicy? Add diced green chiles, red pepper flakes, or jalapenos!

If you don't have everything on hand, it is easy to make swaps. You could use ground beef or turkey instead of chicken, sour cream instead of cream cheese, any kind of cheese you want (pepper jack, Monterrey jack, whatever!), regular salsa instead of salsa verde, the options are endless!