Good Eats: Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

Lately, we've been in a real dinner rut.  Both Jim and I have both been trying to work out at night (because NOBODY wants to work out at 5:30), so that usually means that we aren't ready to eat dinner until at least 8:30.  By that time, we are looking for something quick and easy - a frozen pizza, a homemade frozen meal, or a store-bought frozen meal.  See the theme here?  Frozen. 

Last Thursday, I decided that I had had enough of all of the frozen foods.  I made a trip to the grocery store on my way home from school, collected the ingredients that I needed to whip up a meal, and prepared the meal while Jim worked out.  It cooked while I walked on the treadmill and caught up with the Braverman family, and we were able to enjoy it for dinner after I took a quick shower.  We were still eating at 8:30, but at least it wasn't a frozen meal that we were eating. 

I know that anything that didn't come from the freezer probably would have tasted good to me that night, but I think that this meal was delicious!  It also made for a yummy lunch the next day and a scrumptious dinner for one the day after that!  It's definitely a keeper!

I can't guarantee that we won't fall right back into our frozen foods rut, but this meal provided a nice escape for one night! 

Recipe for:  Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
From:  Sweet Treats & More (via Pinterest)

Ingredients:

2 cups diced or shredded chicken breast meat  (I used a rotisserie chicken)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chili peppers, drained

1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas

2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

 

Directions:

 

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with vegetable cooking spray. Sauté chicken with cumin and coriander until chicken is cooked through (Remember that you can skip this step if you use a rotisserie chicken). Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, black beans, and green chili peppers.

2.  Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream.

Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas.

3.  Cover dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the cover, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.