Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Tomatillo Sauce

I was just going through my digital photo albums to tidy up and organize them, when I came across pictures of Chicken Enchilada Casserole...a simple twist on enchiladas. I have a fabulous recipe for Chicken Enchiladas with a Tomatillo sauce. They can be a bit labor intensive, so I tried to simplify it and make it as a casserole. Honestly, they may not have looked as good, but the taste was all there!

First, I will give you the original recipe, which will look so much better than the photo above!

Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
(San Francisco Encore)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Heat in a frying pan:*
1/2" of oil
Fry just until soft, about 5 seconds on each side:
12 corn tortillas
Lay flat and drain on paper towels.

Combine the following:
4 C cooked shredded chicken
2 C shredded Jack cheese
1 7 oz. can diced green chilies
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Spoon ½ cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla. Cover with 2 T of Tomatillo Sauce. Roll up the tortilla to enclose.

Lay tortillas, seam side down, in a 10 x 15 inch baking pan. Bake, covered, approximately 15 minutes or until hot.

Uncover and sprinkle with
8 oz. shredded Jack cheese

Bake uncovered, until cheese has melted.

To serve: Spoon 3/4 C of Tomatillo Sauce onto dinner plates. Set 2 enchiladas on each plate.

Top with:
shredded lettuce
dollop of sour cream

Garnish with:
lime slices

*To get the tortillas to roll up, they need to be hot...but you don't have to fry them. I get 4 paper towels damp, place one on a microwave-safe plate, and then start layering 3 corn tortillas with towels in between and a towel on top. (So it's plate, towel, tortilla, towel, tortilla, towel, tortilla, towel.) I put them in the microwave on high for 10 seconds. You'll need to figure out what timing/power level works best for you. I quickly fill them and roll. I find if I heat up more than 3 at a time, they tend to cool off and will fall apart if you try to roll them.

Tomatillo Sauce
(San Francisco Encore)

Heat in a large saucepan:
6 T oil (3/8 C)

Add, and cook until soft:
2 medium onions, chopped
1 7 oz can diced green chiles
26 oz. (2 13 oz. cans) tomatillos, drained
1 C chicken stock
3 TB fresh lime juice
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt

Simmer 25 minutes over low heat. Taste and correct seasonings. Puree in food processor or blender until smooth.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Tomatillo Sauce

This is pretty much the same thing, but instead of rolling neat little enchiladas, I tear up the tortillas and layer the whole thing.

Combine the following:
4 C cooked shredded chicken
2 C shredded Jack cheese
1 7 oz. can diced green chilies
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a baking dish, spoon a bit of the Tomatillo Sauce (recipe above) on the pan. Tear up some corn tortillas, creating a layer. Continue to add layers of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, the chicken mixture, Tomatillo Sauce, and corn tortillas. End with a layer of cheese and sauce. Cook approximately 30 minutes, or until it is hot in the middle.

Because my daughter's a vegetarian, I made a small pan of this for her. Instead of chicken, I used the Morning Star Meal Starters Chik 'n Strips.