Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Ham's Refried Beans

I love Mexican food!  And inherently, so does my son, Hamilton.  I guess he "ate" it so much in utero that it's his favorite now!  He's always demanding to "see Juannie" at Rey Azteca.  He's established his reasonable and customary.  He plays with Juanita's pen while she brings out his usual grub of queso and chips, cheese quesadilla, and double the beans.  He would eat a whole plate of beans if he could!  I've tried to recreate the refried beans dish at home for my bean lover.  This is one of my favorite dishes to make at home, and the leftovers are even better!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flower
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (28 oz) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:
1.  Add vegetable oil and flour to a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk together to combine.  Whisk in remaining ingredients.  Taste and adjust spices based on preferences.
2.  Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

*This sauce can be made ahead of time and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  The original recipe calls for 1/2 of this sauce to be used.  I like this recipe better using all of the sauce in the dish.

Enchilada Casserole Recipe

olive oil

6 medium tortillas

3 chicken breasts

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

enchilada sauce (recipe above)

1-2 cups sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

2 cups Mexican blend cheese (or plain cheddar cheese if that's what you have on hand)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

2.  Chop chicken that you have already baked.  I use my Pampered Chef chopper.  I LOVE this nifty gadget!

Don't you love my Patriotic plate!  We celebrate America year-round over here!  

2.  Drizzle olive oil into bottom of 12-inch skillet over medium heat.

3.  Add diced onion and garlic to skillet.  Cook until just tender. Add chopped chicken to this mixture.  Remove from heat.

4.  Spoon about a cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread sauce to coat the bottom of the casserole dish.

5.  Place 3 tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce, overlapping them slightly at the edges to make them fit into the dish. 

6.  Ladle on additional enchilada sauce, again about a cup.

7.  Layer on half of the chicken, onion, and garlic mixture, making sure to spread the mixture evenly over the tortillas and enchilada sauce.

8.  Top with large dollops of sour cream and spread slightly.  Sprinkle on the cheese.

9.  Repeat layering with 3 more tortillas, enchilada sauce, chicken mixture, sour cream, and end with the cheese.

10.   Bake in the oven until cheese has melted, about 20 minutes if preparing right before baking.  Cook 25-30 minutes if it's been refrigerated.

11.  Serve warm.

I usually will prepare this meal in the morning and place it in the refrigerator all day.  Letting it sit allows all of the flavors to marinate together, and it makes my job easier during the witching hour of the day!  I always make the recipe with chicken that I bake with olive oil, salt, and pepper, but you can make it with pork or beef as well.  It's a great dish to use up leftover meat!

Ham's Special Refried Beans

1 can of refried beans

1/3 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

1 tablespoon of Frank's hot sauce

3/4 cup grated monterey jack cheese or a cheddar/jack blend

Instructions:

1.  In a small sauce pan combine the refried beans, sour cream, and hot sauce over medium-low heat.  Stir constantly. 

2.  When the beans are heated through (don't let them boil), remove from heat and pour into a small casserole dish.

3.  Top with grated cheese and heat in the oven until cheese is melted.  I leave the oven on from cooking the casserole and just pop the beans in for a few minutes.  It doesn't take long.

Espero que disfrutes,