Kalyn's Green Chili Chicken Mock Enchilada Casserole

-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut
in half lengthwise into two pieces
-2 cans (15 oz.) mild or medium green chile enchilada
sauce (If you need gluten-free, look for Hatch Gluten
Free or La Victoria brand.)
-1 can (27 oz.) whole roasted and peeled green chiles
(Sold near Mexican foods in most grocery stores.)
-4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
-1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
-2 cups grated low-fat mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375F/190 C. Spray a 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. (I recommend using a glass or crockery casserole dish; any size that is close to that will work.)

Trim visible fat and other undesirable parts from chicken breasts and cut each one in half lengthwise. Put chicken into a small shallow pan, cover with water, and simmer over low heat until the chicken is done, about 15 minutes. Drain chicken into a colander in the sink (you can rinse if there's a lot of scum.) Remove to cutting board to cool.

Put the enchilada sauce into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until the sauce has thickened and reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. (I'm not that good at eyeballing it, so I put it in a measuring cup to measure when I think it's getting close.) Turn off the heat and stir in the cream cheese and sour cream.

After you remove the chicken, drain the can of whole green chiles into the colander and let them drain for a few minutes. Then one at a time, use your fingers to split the chiles open and remove the seeds, piling them into two piles so you can make two equal layers in the casserole. (If chiles still seem wet, you can blot them with a paper towel, but I didn't need to do that.)

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred apart into bite-sized pieces.

Layer half the green chiles into the bottom of the casserole dish, arranging them so the whole surface is covered as much as you can. Over that make a layer of half the chicken, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, and 1 cup of the grated cheese. Make another layer each of green chiles, chicken, sauce, and cheese.

Bake uncovered until the casserole is bubbling and cheese is melted and browning on top, about 40 minutes. Let sit about 5 minutes before cutting. Serve hot.

This will keep in the fridge for several days and can be reheated in the microwave, and also freezes well.



Serving Size: Makes 16 servings

Number of Servings: 16

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ECHOGIRL52.