Description
This Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a healthy, gluten-free layered dish featuring tender baked chicken, black beans, fresh spinach, and cilantro in a creamy yogurt mixture, topped with green enchilada sauce and melted Monterey jack cheese. Easy to prepare and perfect for a flavorful weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Fine salt and black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups siggi’s plain whole milk yogurt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (5-ounce) container fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2 (14- or 15-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce
- 8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
- 9 yellow corn tortillas (6-inch), cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat and Bake Chicken: Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in the dish, season with salt and pepper, and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cooked through (165℉ internal temperature). Remove and let cool slightly, then shred with two forks.
- Prepare Filling Mixture: While the chicken cooks, combine black beans, yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chopped spinach, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well.
- Combine Chicken with Filling: Lightly mist the baking dish again with cooking spray. Fold the shredded chicken into the yogurt mixture thoroughly.
- Assemble Layers: Pour ¾ cup enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 6 tortilla halves over the sauce (will not cover completely). Spread one-third of the chicken-bean mixture over tortillas, sprinkle with ½ cup cheese, and drizzle ¾ cup enchilada sauce on top. Repeat layering two more times, finishing with the remaining enchilada sauce. Reserve the final ½ cup cheese for later.
- Bake Covered: Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375℉ for 30 minutes until bubbly and heated through.
- Bake Uncovered with Cheese: Remove foil, sprinkle casserole with remaining ½ cup cheese, and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes until cheese melts.
- Rest and Serve: Let casserole stand for 10 minutes to thicken before serving. Garnish with extra chopped cilantro, and serve with diced red onion, avocado, and lime wedges if desired.
Notes
- This casserole is naturally gluten-free due to the use of corn tortillas.
- Use cooked, shredded chicken as a shortcut to save prep time.
- Substitute Monterey jack cheese with mild cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend if preferred.
- Leftover casserole can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
- Adding diced jalapeños or hot sauce can increase the spice level.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 758 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 54 mg
