Mexican Chicken Casserole

This stuff is fresh, filling…and healthy! I got this one from Cooking Light (a staple in our house) and it is awesome. While it does require some hands-on time – it is nothing complicated. I am typically one that will pull a Sandra Lee every now and then and go with the store bought version of a certain ingredient (e.g. salsa) vs making it homemade (she calls this “Semi-Homemade”). Anyway, in this recipe, you will make homemade salsa to place in your Mexican “lasagna” – and it is SO worth it. And, if you’re like me and like your food a lil on the spicy side…I’d recommend some additional jalepenos, Cayenne pepper, or…my favorite, Louisiana hot sauce! Enjoy – Morg

The Recipe
Hands on time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 10 mins (I think this is a lie or I’m not that good)

Salsa:
8 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (I use the kind out of the jar to make my life a little easier)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 seeded jalepeno pepper, quartered (again, I’d use extra and…if you like lots of heat, you can skip the seeding process)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Casserole:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I’d make this 4 cups, especially if you’re cooking for a man; Anthony’s big complaint was that there wasn’t enough “meat”)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (10 ounce) can green chili enchilada sauce
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) shredding Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat broiler.
2. To prepare salsa, combine first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (where is the degrees sign on a computer?)
4. To prepare casserole,  heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup onion, corn, zucchini, and bell pepperr; saute 6 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through green chiles); saute 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.
5. Spread 1/2 cup of salsa over the bottom of a 13X9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of tortillas over salsa. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture evenly over toritllas. Top with 3/4 cup salsa. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of each cheese. Repeat layers, start with remaining tortillas and ending with remaining cheeses. Bake at 250 degrees for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Yields: 8 servings. (330 calories per serving – but who’s counting?)

Note: the longer the salsa is allowed to sit, the more the flavors will meld. Make extra and use to enhance other dishes – or just serve with some warm tortilla chips!