Chicken Enchilada Casserole

If a post pops up in my Google Reader with the word “enchilada” in the title, it’s pretty much a sure bet that I’ll be starring the recipe to try in the future. When I saw this casserole, then, it was a no-brainer. I knew I’d be trying it, and I knew we’d love it. So I did, and we did.

Although you could definitely use traditional salsa for this recipe if you had it on hand, I strongly recommend the salsa verde. It has a different flavor than red salsa, and I love how that flavor works in this dish. There are a lot of things that I love about this recipe, actually -- the mild spice, the creaminess of the sour cream and refried beans, the melty multitude of cheese, the way it reminds me of a Mexican lasagna with its alternating layers. If you love Mexican food like I do, I think you’ll find that this is your perfect comfort food.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
slightly adapted from The Picky Apple

3 cups shredded, cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken works perfectly)
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 cups salsa verde
9 small flour tortillas
1 15.5-ounce can refried beans, warmed
8 ounces sour cream
3 cups shredded colby jack cheese

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken, taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water and salsa verde in a skillet. Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Coat 13 x 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cover bottom of pan with 3 tortillas, overlapping. Pour half of the chicken mixture on the tortillas. Cover with 3 more tortillas. Combine refried beans and sour cream, then spread over the tortillas.

3. Sprinkle half the cheese over the beans and sour cream, and cover with the remaining 3 tortillas. Top with remaining chicken mixture, followed by remaining cheese. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until bubbly.