Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Bake

Oh Mexico, how I miss you! From your beautiful beaches to your authentic flavors, I think you have found a permanent place in my heart.

Me gusta mucho la comida de Mexico! Haha! Who knows if that sentence made any sense. Ben and I were only in Puerto Vallarta for a week this past week and I only took a few years of high school Spanish, so that's the best I can do. We celebrated our 10 year anniversary a few months late by going on an all expense paid for vacation by none other than the BEST in-laws in town. Seriously my in-laws are amazing. Who could ask for a better anniversary celebration than zip lining through the jungle, snorkeling along the coast and watching baby humpback whales playing in the ocean. Yeah, not much compares.

Another thing that just doesn't compare is authentic Mexican food. I'm talking about the fresh limes, roasted chiles and handmade maize (corn) tortillas. You just can't beat those flavor combos. I don't think I've squeezed more limes in my 30 years than I did this past week. I've discovered that limes are pretty much amazing on anything and everything! 

So, in tribute to the flavors of Mexico I thought I would share this authentically flavorful Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Bake. It layers white corn tortillas, fresh roasted tomatillo and cilantro chile verde sauce and fiesta blend cheeses to create a perfectly balanced "Mexican lasagna". And once again, it is gluten free without lacking in any flavor.  

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Bake

Ingredients:

6 tomatillos

1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/4"wedges

2 jalapenos

3 garlic cloves

1 small can diced green chiles (4 oz.)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoon lime juice

1 cup packed cilantro

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup sour cream

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 can rinsed and drained black beans

2-3 cups fiesta blend cheese

15-18 white corn tortillas

1 small can sliced olives

2 limes cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and rinse tomatillos. Cut a small slit in each to avoid bursting in the oven. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place tomatillos, onion wedges, whole jalapenos and whole garlic cloves on foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast in oven for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender, turning halfway through. Once cool, remove stem and seeds from jalapenos.

2. Remove skins from garlic cloves and put garlic paste into food processor. Place remaining roasted vegetables in food processor. Add green chiles, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper, lime juice and cilantro. Puree mixture until smooth. Set sauce aside.

3. In a small saucepan combine milk, cornstarch, chicken boullion, granulated garlic, dried oregano and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Heat over medium heat until it begins to boil. Stir at a low boil for 1 minute to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Add shredded chicken (I boiled two small chicken breasts for 12 minutes and shredded). Add rinsed and drained black beans. I also added some fresh spinach I had in the fridge and it tasted great. Set aside.

4. Use either one 9 X 13 or two 8 X 8 casserole dishes for layering. (I like to assemble two: one for cooking and one for freezying) Following instructions will be for one 9 X 13 dish. Lightly grease pan with cooking spray. Put a small amount of tomatillo sauce in bottom of pan and spread around to barely coat the bottom, about two tablespoons. Arrange four corn tortillas plus one more split in half on bottom of the pan. Drizzle tops of tortillas with 1/3 remaining tomatillo sauce.

5. Spread 1/2 of the chicken mixture on top.

6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Continue layering by wetting bottom of the next layer of tortillas with the tomatillo mixture and layering them on top of the cheese. Spread 1/2 of remaining tomatillo sauce on top of tortillas. Spread remaining chicken mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle 1/2 of remaining cheese on top.

7. Begin last layer by wetting bottoms of remaining layer of tortillas with tomatillo sauce and layering them over the cheese. Cover tortillas with last of the tomatillo sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and place olives on top.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes covered or until heated through. (8 X 8 pan takes 35 minutes) Let stand for 10 minutes and serve with lime wedges. This also pairs well with my Creamy Cilantro Ranch sauce found here.

Serves 10-12