August 5, 2011: Lite Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe

I just got back from spending a weekend in my hometown of Silver City, New Mexico. While I was there I had to eat my favorite Mexican food. In my opinion, Silver City is home to THE best Mexican food found anywhere on the planet. I have fond memories of eating at each of the restaurants while growing up, including El Paisano, the Silver Café, Jalisco, and Tillie’s. I was in town for my 30th high school reunion and many of us reminisced about the wonderful food we had in our town while growing up.

These days as we all get older and – how shall I say it – bigger, we can’t eat the same food we used to without gaining pounds instantly. This recipe is my version of chicken enchiladas that is much lighter than the traditional (but the still most mouth-watering) enchiladas I enjoyed in Silver City.

Lite green chile chicken enchiladas served with a salad of green leaf lettuce, tomatoes and avocado slices.

Lite Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole

1 T. olive oil
½ cup minced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup chopped tomatoes
¼ cup chopped green chiles
½ cup chicken broth
1 t. cumin
1 t. dehydrated cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
4 corn-wheat tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory Hand Made Style Corn Tortillas, large size)
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Heat the olive oil to medium in a saucepan. Add onions and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, until slightly translucent. Add chicken, tomatoes, chiles, broth and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for half an hour or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove chicken from the broth mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. When cooled enough to handle, shred chicken and add back to broth mixture. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine yogurt and salsa. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.

To assemble enchiladas: place two tortillas in the bottom of the greased pan. Spray with cooking spray. Pour half the shredded chicken mixture over the top. Dot with dollops of the sour cream mixture; sprinkle with half the black olives. Top with half the shredded cheese. Place two more tortillas on top and spray with cooking spray. Top with remaining ingredients.

Fresh out of the oven and bubbling hot.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. It will look soupy but the tortillas will absorb any extra moisture as it sits, so let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serves 4