My move to Florida hasn’t been without food drama. I can’t find a Mexican restaurant that I love, so I’m making Mexican food at home.
I found a great enchilada sauce recipe on the COOKIE + Kate website. I generally make a triple batch so that we have a lot left over. It freezes beautifully and is a great go-to for not only enchiladas but as a topper for tacos, vegetables and roasted meats. It can be made gluten free, which is important in my household. Depending on the chili powder used, it can be very spicy or mild in flavor. The beauty is that you get to choose!
My mother, a teacher and very busy person, believed that anything worth eating could be made into a casserole--enchiladas are no exception. This recipe is for casserole-style (flat) enchiladas.
Here’s my recipe:
12-16 (or more) corn tortillas, cut into quarters
1 lb. roasted, shredded chicken***
½ of the enchilada sauce (see recipe above)
Shredded Mexican style cheese or a four cheese blend
Salt and pepper, to taste
***This could also be shredded beef, ground beef, shredded pork, or roasted vegetables for vegetarian-style enchiladas (If you do use vegetables, make sure they’re roasted. If you use them raw, you’ll end up with a lot of water in your enchiladas).
Heat oven to 375°.
Spray non-stick cooking spray on the bottom of a 9x9 glass baking dish.
Layer the bottom of the pan with ⅓ of the corn tortilla quarters, overlapping slightly.
Layer ⅓ of the chicken on top of the corn tortillas.
Pour enchilada sauce over the chicken (not too much or it will get soupy).
Put shredded cheese on top of enchilada sauce.
Repeat these layers again.
Top with a layer of corn tortilla quarters, a little sauce and some cheese.
Cover the dish with non-stick aluminum foil and place on a cookie sheet.
Cook for 30-40 minutes or until it is heated through and the sides of the pan are bubbling.
If you want a crispier top, take the aluminum foil off for the last five minutes that it’s in the oven.
Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting (I cut into nine squares, then scoop out with a spoon).
Enjoy!
Maria Netherland is a Northwest Florida-based coach who is a USA Triathlon Level II Endurance and Youth & Juniors Certified Coach as well as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist. Coach Maria loves working for athletes of all abilities, military athletes, and new triathletes as they pursue their goals. Maria is a veteran of the US Army and a United States Military Academy at West Point graduate. She can be reached at maria@teammpi.com.