Food Musings

This newer version of my tasty Enchilada Casserole tastes even better with tangy Tomatillos!

This Mexican style casserole is always a crowd favorite and probably the recipe I prepare that is most requested.  I’ve made it so often I don’t even use the recipe anymore but did an update today so thought I’d share the newest version of the recipe with you.

Recently I asked my husband Greg what style of food he prefer that I focus on when trying new dishes – Mexican or Italian.  He quickly and emphatically stated “Mexican” so I’ve been working on some new Mexican recipes and on updating some dishes too.

For this newer version of the casserole I’ve skipped the step of warming the tortillas in oil and added a large can of tomatillos for tanginess and more fiber.  A tomatillo is a green fruit that is most often used in Salsa Verde.  I like the canned version for cooked dishes.  After draining the fruit I chopped it up and used the juice in the sour cream mixture too.

The Tomatillos add tasty flavor to the dish and I found that the oil that I used before was not really needed.  The sour cream mixture give the tortillas plenty of moisture and their natural corn taste is, well, more corny and natural.

While this recipe can be served as rolled enchiladas, I tend to like the casserole style better as it’s easier to prepare and to dish out at a party.

Note:  I find that, like many great casseroles, this dish is better the next day.  You may want to prepare and cook it the day before, refrigerate it, and then warm it up the next day.

If you’re preparing this dish for two it freezes just fine.  Just wait for it to cool and cut it into the size you want.  Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags, taking care to squeezed as much air out of the bag as possible.  When you need a tasty dinner, just pull it out of the freezer and defrost, then warm up in the microwave.  

Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Sour Creme  

• 1 baked diced chicken meat from a whole rotisserie chicken,
• 1 16 oz sour crème
• 4-6 cups package mixed cheddar and jack cheese – grated
• 1 chopped yellow onion
• 2 cans diced green chilies (4oz)
• 1 28 ounce can tomatillos – drained and diced
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 2 cans crème of chicken soup
• 18-24 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4s
• 3 diced green onions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Shred chicken
3. Spray a large casserole dish or 2 medium ones with Pam.
4. Mix sour crème, ½ of cheese, onion, chicken soup, green chilies, tomatillos, cumin and oregano in a bowl.  If the mixture seems too thick stir in some chicken stock.  Its should have a creamy consistency.  Add salt to taste
5. Combine ½ of sour crème mixture with shredded chicken
6. Spoon a little of the remaining sour crème mixture on bottom of a baking dish.
7. Layer ¼ of the tortillas in the dish, then spoon in chicken and sour crème mixture, then ¼ of the cheese.  Continue layering until the last layer of tortillas.
8. Top the last layer of tortillas with the remaining sour crème mixture and cheese.
9. Bake for 30 minutes
10. Top with green onions and let stand for 10 minutes or so.

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