It's an easy and healthy Mexican chicken casserole that's baked in the oven until the cheese is melted and the edges are a crispy golden brown.
This Green Enchilada Casserole is creamy, dreamy and layered with chicken, quinoa and green chiles swimming in a vibrant salsa verde sauce.
It's an easy and healthy Mexican chicken casserole that's baked in the oven until the cheese is melted and the edges are a crispy golden brown.
You guys know how I feel about Mexican food. Tacos, burritos, bowls, oh my! And who could forget about good ol' enchiladas rolled and drenched in a Mexican-spiced tomato sauce?
The secret is the fresh and vibrant spin from homemade salsa-verde-like enchilada sauce with fresh tomatillos (you know - those green, sticky tomatoes you always see at the market, but never know what to do with them).
Get ready for the enchilada bake of your dreams.
The list of the ingredients is a mix of fresh produce and Mexican pantry staples I always have on hand. I've broken it down into the sauce and casserole categories as follows:
Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:
Tomatillos. Tomatillos are more acidic and less sweet than their ripe red tomato cousin (they are actually the same family as a gooseberry!). You can find them in the produce section of most grocery stores, usually next to the jalapenos.
They have a thin, papery husk with a sticky surface underneath. Simply discard the husk and give them a good scrub under cool running water. Dry completely before coating with the olive oil.
One of the reasons I love this casserole SO much is the homemade enchilada sauce.
I love breaking out my Blendtec for soups and sauces. It powers through all the ingredients and leaves me with a smooth texture every time. This blender is the quietest blender I have ever used. You can literally have a conversation while it’s humming and you’d never know it was on!
Enchilada Casserole Ingredients:
Quinoa. Quinoa is technically a seed, not a grain (hence the reason it is known as a pseudo grain) and comes in a variety of colors (white, red, black). I went with the prepacked tricolor (or rainbow) quinoa for both flavor and color.
Always rinse quinoa before cooking to rid of its bitter coating. Then, cook it the same way you would rice, but in a ratio of 1:1.5 quinoa-to-liquid, for 15 minutes. As soon as you see little curls poking out of the tiny seeds, it's ready!
I love making quinoa in my rice cooker. It’s the perfect small dutch oven for cooking a big batch of quinoa and it’s heavy lid seals in all the steam for super moist quinoa.
Chicken. Poached chicken breasts are your best friend in this recipe. I like to purchase a big batch of chicken breasts and poach them in water with some onion, garlic and parsley stems.
Strain out the liquid and reserve it as chicken stock to use in this recipe and have on hand for the rest of the week. Shred the chicken breasts immediately or make ahead of time to have cooked chicken ready and waiting for you in the fridge. The chicken will keep best in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Traditional flour tortillas are layered with a creamy, zesty, spiced chicken and quinoa filling, along with the green enchilada sauce and loads of cheese! It's baked until gooey and finished with some sour cream, avocado and fresh cilantro.
Rather than rolling the tortillas individually, these bad boys get stacked with the filling for a mile-high enchilada bake ready in no time. About half the time is making the sauce and the other half if completely hands-off since you're just waiting for the green casserole to bake in the oven. Simply:
Blend the Enchilada Sauce
Assemble the Green Quinoa Enchilada Layers
I love the mix of chicken and quinoa against soft, pillowy flour tortillas, but there are simple swaps you can make to satisfy any meat, vegetable or gluten-free eaters.
Get ahead of the game with this green enchilada bake by blending the sauce and cooking the chicken and quinoa ahead of time. Store each in a separate container in the fridge.
All that's left to do on the day you are going to serve is layer, assemble, and bake to glorious baked enchilada heaven!
For longer storage, once assembled and cooked, store in a covered, freezer-safe casserole dish in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and rewarm in a 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
I love casseroles for the fact that they easily serve a crowd! This recipe generously serves 4 but can serve up to 8-10 people at a picnic, potluck, or party. My friends devour it every time.
When I’m serving up a casserole like this I love baking it off in my Dansk Speckled Bakeware Roaster. Believe it or not, this entire pan can go right from the oven to the table. It’s a collection of bakeware that is perfect for busy people who don’t have time to plate up dinner (who does?!) but want everything to look as nice as possible.
It's a great crowd-pleasing recipe for all your Cinco de Mayo celebrations, too!
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