Stacked Chicken Enchiladas - an easy cassarole

My week has been busy with an ill granddaughter to help with, and then my husband got sick, so I really haven't cooked much. I hope next week is healthier. But I do have a recipe to share. Would you like having a yummy chicken enchilada casserole recipe that is fairly easy to throw together? A rotisserie chicken is called for in this recipe, which cuts down quite a bit in the casserole's preparation. Of course, you can used leftover baked chicken, or even turkey, if desired. A delicious, spicy, but mild sauce is layered between roasted chicken, corn tortillas and Monterrey jack cheese and baked for 15-20 minutes, which makes it easy enough even for a week night meal. This is supposed to be a 30 minute meal from Cook's Country, but I went over a few minutes. I like the smaller size of this casserole as it's not so huge for a smaller family. But it packs plenty of flavor! My husband prefers actual enchiladas to this casserole, but I don't always have time to make them. This dish is a delicious substitute, so I hope you'll give it a try.

STACKED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

adapted from Cook's Country

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 onion, chopped fine

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce

3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (4-ounce) can of chopped green chilies

1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded ( about 3 cups of meat)

2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese-recipe calls for Mexican cheese blend

12 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1. Place an oven rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and saute onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth, salt and tomato paste. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

2. Toss the chicken, 1/4 cup sauce, 1 cup cheese and green chilies in a bowl. Tortillas are supposed to be softened in a microwave, but mine were fresh and soft, so I skipped this step.

Now, spread 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish. Lay 4 tortillas over the sauce in the baking dish. Cover the tortillas with half of the chicken mixture.. Top chicken layer with 4 more tortillas, and then cover with half of the sauce mixture. Cover with remaining chicken mixture, then the last 4 tortillas, and the rest of the sauce. Cover with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.

3. Place a piece of foil tightly over the baking dish and bake about 15 minutes until heated through. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. I let it cool about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

NOTE: If you prefer a spicier dish, you can used pepper jack cheese as a substitute.