Monday, September 15, 2014

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole with Poached Chicken


Greetings and Salutations…

Anyone else remember what book that is from?

I have very fond memories of Charlotte's Web, just wish I could find my original copy to enjoy with my own kids.

Speaking of books, have you read any good books lately?

I'm in a bit of a reading slump myself, haven't cracked a new one since school started.  I'm still fumbling around with my schedule a bit to settle into a routine and the best time of the day for me to carve out some reading time…which, if I'm honest, is right before nap time!

So, while reading is at a bit of a stand still…thankfully, cooking is still going strong!

This Cheesy Enchilada Casserole and all of it's delicious layers of Mexican goodness was a big hit around here.  And, the leftovers were equally sought after.

If you have leftover chicken in your fridge, this is an ideal dish for you!

Since we didn't have any leftover chicken, I wanted to go with the fastest way to cook chicken so that it would be tender, juicy and easy to shred.

Poaching was the answer.  


Started by adding 6 chicken breasts to the salted, boiling water.


They simmered for about 10 minutes….


Or, until the internal temperature was 170F. 


Then, let the shredding fun begin.  

Ok, so maybe it is not that much fun, but I certainly think it is worth the effort.

Once the chicken was ready, the rest of the dish could get underway. 


Started with about 1/2 cup of Enchilada sauce as the first layer in 
my beloved 9x13 stone baking dish. 


Then, about 4.5 corn tortillas were arranged in a layer, 
topped with 1 cup black beans and 
1/2 cup sweet corn


Before 1 cup of shredded chicken was added, 
one sliced scallion was tossed in for some extra flavor. 


The first series of layers was completed by 1 cup of shredded fiesta blend of cheese


And, we begin again, with the corn tortillas and 1 cup of enchilada sauce. 


More veggies (black beans, corn and scallion). 


And chicken…

Finish with the rest of the sauce and cheese. 


Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. 

Garnish with some scallion and parsley, if you like. 

If you don't care what it looks like, just devour!

RECIPE:
Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
28 oz can of Enchilada Sauce
9 white corn tortillas
2 cans of black beans - drained
1 cup of frozen sweet corn - thawed
3 scallions - sliced
2 cups shredded cheese
Parsley - optional

Directions:
Boil chicken breasts in salted water for 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170F. 
Shred the chicken breasts with 2 forks. 
Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the pan. 
Layer 4-5 corn tortillas. 
Top with 1 cup of black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 1 sliced scallion, 1 cup chicken and 1 cup cheese. 
Another layer of tortillas, then 1 cup of sauce, 1 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 1 sliced scallion and the rest of the chicken.
Finish with the rest of the sauce and the rest of the cheese. 
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. 
Garnish with sliced scallion and parsley. 






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