Comfort foods are always in high demand, no matter the season or the weather. Through cooking and preparing favorite dishes, we bring back those memories that make us feel happy, secure, and even hopeful. Lately, I’m needing a lot of all of those.
Cooking Light has this Mexican Chicken Casserole that definitely fulfilled that craving for my mother’s casserole. Since I can no longer eat casseroles with “cream of ____” soup, I’m learning to make substitutions that actually taste good. This one is perfect! The chicken can be cooked ahead of time and that will make this an easy-to-prepare dish for a busy weeknight meal.
- 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, divided
- 1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup evaporated skim milk
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
- 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
- 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)
- Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.