Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Cooking spray

8 ounces boneless skinless, chicken breasts (or 7 ounces cooked, shredded chicken)

Fine salt and black pepper

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups sour cream

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

¾ teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

1 small can green chilis

5 ounces baby spinach, chopped (fresh or frozen)

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

2 (14- or 15-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce

8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided

9 yellow corn tortillas (6-inch), cut in half

Directions

Skip if chicken is pre-cooked:

Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in the dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165℉ on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chicken from the pan to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly before shredding with two forks.

While the chicken cooks, add black beans, green chilis, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chopped spinach, and cilantro to a medium bowl; stir to combine.

Grease baking dish. Fold the cooked, shredded chicken into the sour cream mixture in the bowl.

To the bottom of the baking dish, add ¾ cup enchilada sauce. Layer 6 tortillas halves over the sauce (this will not cover the sauce completely).

Spread ⅓ of the chicken-bean mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese. Drizzle ¾ cup enchilada sauce over the top, then repeat the layers two more times, ending with the remaining enchilada sauce. Reserve the remaining ½ cup cheese for later.

Cover the dish with foil and place in the preheated oven.

Bake at 375℉ for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the center is hot.

Remove the foil from the dish. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining ½ cup cheese and return the dish to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven when the cheese is melted. Allow the casserole to stand for 10 minutes to allow the casserole to thicken up before serving.

Serve with chopped fresh cilantro, finely diced red onion, diced or sliced avocado, and/or lime wedges.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/8 recipe (~1 cup)
• Calories: 390
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 54 mg
• Sodium: 758 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 33 g
• Dietary Fiber: 7 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 28 g