Southwest chicken casserole

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs or combination of both *
• 12 ounces of salsa green or red or both*
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 diced yellow onion
• 1 diced bell pepper
• 1 large can of red enchilada sauce (Las Palmas has both mild or hot. I use mild. Choose according to your taste)
• 1 4 ounce can of diced green chiles or jalapeños (not fresh. Used canned)
• 2 15.5 ounce cans of beans drained and rinsed. I used black beans, pintos, or kidneys.
• 1 cup frozen corn (or more if you really like corn)
• 12 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack or “Mexican blend”)
• Small can of sliced black olives
• Optional: sour cream, chopped cilantro, green onions, tapatío sauce, sliced avocado
• * you may substitute 3 cups of cooked chicken, shredded, for these two ingredients.

cook chicken in salsa in one of two ways: simmer in salsa and a cup of water until fork tender (about 40 minutes) OR put chicken and salsa in an Instant Pot and pressure cook in high for 20 minutes with quick release.

Preheat oven to 350

Put olive oil in pan and heat to medium. Cook onions and bell pepper until soft. Add frozen corn. Cook until not frozen. Add chicken, beans, green chile, 2 cups of enchilada sauce, and mix well.

Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce on bottom of pan to coat. Layer 6 tortillas in sauce. Spoon half of chicken mixture over and the half of cheese. Place another layer of tortillas, the rest of chicken mixture. Pour remaining sauce over everything. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle olives over all.

Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20.

If desired, Serve with one or more of the sour cream, Tapatío, cilantro, green onions, and avocado.

I’ve seen this kind of dish called enchilada casserole, but it’s really just more of a southwestern style dish and not very enchilada like.

You can adjust the heat based on the ingredients you buy. I tend to go mild and use Tapatío on the servings of those who like it spicier.

If you notice, the recipe has no added salt. The ingredients have a lot of sodium, so I left out the salt and just use a light dash on my serving if I feel it needs it. I HATE cilantro, so I prefer some sliced avocado. I have cilantro as an option for those who don’t think it tastes like dawn liquid.

As for cheese, I use sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack because I always have those on hand. If I was buying pre-shredded, I’d use the Mexican blend. You can also omit the cheese or reduce it by half and only use it on the top layer. If I reduce the cheese, I double the corn because that’s just how I like it.

This recipe wants you to experiment with the filling. Don’t be afraid to put more or less of an ingredient.

If you choose to make this a day ahead, increase time baking with cover to 40 minutes.