Description
This Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a healthy, gluten-free layered dish featuring tender baked chicken, black beans, spinach, and a creamy yogurt-based sauce, all stacked with corn tortillas and topped with melted Monterey Jack cheese. Perfect for a flavorful and nutritious weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Fine salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Cooking spray
Filling
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups siggi’s plain whole milk yogurt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (5-ounce) container fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
Assembly
- 2 (14- or 15-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce
- 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 9 yellow corn tortillas (6-inch), cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Chicken: Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in the dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165℉ on an instant-read thermometer. Remove and let cool slightly before shredding with two forks.
- Make Filling: While the chicken cooks, in a medium bowl, combine black beans, yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chopped spinach, and cilantro. Stir until well mixed.
- Combine Chicken and Filling: Spray the baking dish again with cooking spray. Fold the shredded chicken into the yogurt-bean mixture thoroughly.
- First Layer: Pour ¾ cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 6 tortilla halves over the sauce; it will not fully cover the sauce.
- Build Layers: Spread one-third of the chicken-bean mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded cheese. Drizzle ¾ cup of enchilada sauce on top. Repeat layering two more times with remaining chicken mixture, tortillas, sauce, ending with enchilada sauce. Reserve ½ cup cheese for topping.
- Bake Covered: Cover the casserole with foil and bake at 375℉ for 30 minutes until bubbly and heated through.
- Add Cheese and Finish Baking: Remove foil, sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese evenly on top, and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes until cheese melts.
- Rest and Serve: Let the casserole stand 10 minutes to thicken before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro, diced red onion, avocado slices, and lime wedges as desired.
Notes
- This casserole is naturally gluten-free using corn tortillas, making it suitable for gluten-sensitive diets.
- For a quicker option, use pre-cooked shredded chicken, about 1 heaping cup or 6-7 ounces.
- Adjust the spice level by adding chopped jalapeño or using spicy green enchilada sauce.
- Feel free to substitute low-fat yogurt for a lighter dish, which will alter the creaminess slightly.
- Letting the casserole rest before serving helps it set and makes it easier to slice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe (~1 cup)
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 758 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 54 mg
