Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This chicken enchilada casserole is made easy by using the Instant Pot. Have it with the salsa that you will make as part of the recipe.
Calories per serving: 478kcal
Ingredients
~~ For the Chicken ~~
- 1 (1) Chicken
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) dried minced onion
- 1 (1) onion skin
- 2 cloves (2 cloves) garlic, broken up
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) oregano
- 2 (2) bay leaves
~~ For the Sauce ~~
- 2 (2) Pasilla Chilies, charred and peeled
- 1 (1) red jalapeno, charred and peeled
- 1 (1) onion, (save the root and skin for the chicken)
- 1 (1) chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- ½ cup (119 g) cream, or half and half
- ½ cup (117.5 g) chicken broth
- 1 10 oz can (1 10 oz can) Green enchilada sauce
~~ Assembly ~~
- 6 (6) corn tortillas, toasted
- 1 pound (453.59 g) colby jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup (113 g) monterey jack, shredded and loosely packed
- 1 cup (113 g) medium cheddar, shredded and loosely packed
Instructions
- Mise en Place
Prepare the chicken
- Remove the neck and gizzards from the chicken and give them to your pet.
- Put the chicken in the Instant Pot and fill the pot with water up to the fill line. Add the onion flakes, onion skins and root, garlic cloves, oregano, and bay leaves. Close the lid and put the Instant Pot to Pressure for 30 minutes. Use Natural Release. Let the chicken cool until it can be handled. Remove the skin and bones and break up the meat.
- Remove the chicken from the broth using tongs. Strain the broth and set it aside.
Make the Sauce
- Put the 2 pasilla chilies and the jalapeno in the air fryer at 400°F / 204°C for 15 minutes. Then put them in a large bowl and cover the bowl well so the skins can steam off. A shower cap is a good thing to use. Let them sit for about half an hour then remove the skins. If you want the sauce extra spicy, do not remove the pith or seeds, otherwise, remove the pith and seeds.
- Put the chilis and the onion in a food processor and process until you have a nice paste. Set the salsa aside. You only need about 3 tablespoons of the salsa, so save the rest for chips or another use.
- Empty the can of green enchilada sauce into a small pot and add 3 tablespoons of the salsa. Add the cream and chicken broth. Mix the sauce and sit it aside.
- Put the meat in a processor and process it until it is in small chunks. Set the chicken aside.
Prepare the tortillas
- Even though these tortillas are not going to by rolled, it's still nice to have them a bit charred. The best way to do this is on a gas stove top, but if you don't have that, you could use a cast iron skillet heated up - no oil required. To use the stove top, light the burner and using long tongs, hold the tortilla over the flame for a few seconds to char it on both sides. For a cast iron skillet, heat the skillet then add a tortilla. Using long tongs, flip the tortilla on both sides until it's charred a little bit then remove it.
Assembly
- Grate the cheeses in the food processor and set them aside.
- Put a little of the sauce in the casserole.
- Put three of the tortillas in the casserole.
- Put half the chicken on top of the tortialls, spreading it out.
- Then put half the cheese over the chicken.
- Cover that with more of the sauce, then another layer of tortillas and chicken. Pour the remaining sauce over the casserole.
- Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake the casserole at 350°F / 176C° for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. Remove it from the oven and let is rest for about 10 minutes untilt he molten cheese settles down. Enjoy!
Notes
1. Save the leftover broth to make soup or use it for risotto.
2. You can use the remainder of the salsa that you don't eat with chips for Spicy Healthy Meatloaf.
2. You can use the remainder of the salsa that you don't eat with chips for Spicy Healthy Meatloaf.
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