Super Supper

For New Year's Eve supper I had a hankerin' for something I rarely make, but which everyone likes, enchilada casserole.  Since it is so calorie-laden I make it only about once a year, often for Super Bowl Sunday.


I happened across a lightened version in  Cooking Light, January 2011.  I must say, I prefer this version to the original.  It has much more subtle, interesting flavors and it is definitely less caloric.  And it is full of veggies!


The original recipe for Mexican Casserole with Charred Tomato Salsa follows below.  I modified it by using purchased roasted tomato salsa (2 cups) instead of charring tomatoes myself (they aren't tasty this time of year, anyway).  So I completely eliminated steps 1 and 2.  I used our frozen sweet corn and frozen shredded zucchini from our garden.  Instead of the shredded chicken breast I used leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.  The overall preparation time for me was about 40 minutes.  I actually made it early in the day and baked it later.


It was a hit!

Total: 1 hour, 10 minutesYield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• Salsa:
• 8  plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
• 3  garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1  small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1  seeded jalapeño pepper, quartered
• Cooking spray
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
• Casserole:
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1  cup  diced zucchini
• 1  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 3  cups  shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1  (10-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce
• 1  (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 12  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. To prepare salsa, combine first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350°.

4. To prepare casserole, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup onion, corn, zucchini, and bell pepper; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through green chiles); sauté 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.

5. Spread 1/2 cup salsa over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of tortillas over salsa. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with 3/4 cup salsa. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of each cheese. Repeat layers, starting with remaining tortillas and ending with remaining cheeses. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes until bubbly.