Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This recipe goes with the Red enchilada sauce which is SO easy and really really good. Made this for my in-laws and got rave reviews from everyone. via gimmesomeoven.com with a few of my own modifications.

YIELD: ABOUT 8 SERVINGS

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Very easy and impressive. Seems like a lot of stuff but really you just layer it up and throw it in the oven. Serve with a salad and you're good! SO yummy! Feel free to vary ingredients based on what you have. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups red enchilada sauce (I highly recommend my homemade red enchilada sauce recipe, which can be made gluten-free*)
• 16 corn tortillas, halved
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 6 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced (leave 1 sliced one to the side)
• 4 cups (about 1.5 pounds) shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend cheese (separated)
• I also added about 3/4 cup of frozen mixed pepper that I sauteeed and added.
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh cilantro
• 
  
• DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Pour about 3/4 cup enchilada sauce in the baking dish, and spread until the bottom of the dish is coated. Top with a layer of about 8 tortilla halves so that the entire dish is covered. Combine black beans, corn, shredded chicken, 1 1/2 cups cheese, green onions and peppers. Sprinkle half the mixture and then cover with tortillas and sauce and repeat with a second layer of tortillas, then more of the bean chicken mixture. Then conclude with a final layer of tortillas and sauce (reserving about 1/2 cup of cheese to add partway through baking). Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake for 20 minutes.

Remove pan and remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, then return to the oven (uncovered) and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove pan, and sprinkle with avocado, cilantro, and remaining green onions. Serve warm.

*If you are not using my enchilada sauce and would like this recipe to be gluten-free, be sure to check the label of store-bought sauces to find one that is GF.

*To make this recipe gluten-free, be sure to check the labels of all ingredients to double-check that they are made gluten-free.