Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Red Sauce
Making your own red sauce is a bit time consuming but not difficult. This is a great dish to make ahead of time and perfect for parties. This recipe uses Lady Moon Farms organic cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
Enchiladas
- 3 Cups Red enchilada sauce Instructions below
- 16 Corn Tortillas cut in half
- 2 Cans Black beans rinsed and drained, 15 ounce each
- 1 Can Corn drained, 15 ounce
- 10 Scallions thinly sliced, green onions
- 4 Cups Cooked chicken shredded
- 3 Cups Monterrey Jack cheese shredded
- 1/2 Cups Fresh cilantro
- 3/4 Cup Lady Moon Farms cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 Cup Black olives sliced
Red Sauce
- 2 Onions peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rings
- 1 Whole Garlic pulled apart with the skins on
- 1 Tbs Olive oil
- 10 Ounces Dried Ancho chilies
- 5 Ounces Dried Guajillo chilies
- 3-4 Cups Chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 Tbs Dried oregano
- 2 Tsp Ground cumin
- 1 Tbs Brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tsp Salt
Instructions
Enchiladas
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Pour the enchilada sauce into a casserole dish, and spread fully coating the bottom.
- Top with a layer of corn tortilla halves and sprinkle with black beans.
- Sprinkle with corn.
- Top with 1/3 of the chicken.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Repeat with two more layers of tortillas, sauce, beans, corn, green onions, chicken, and cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dish cooked through.
- Top with cilantro, tomatoes and black olives then serve. Ole!
Red Sauce
- Place your oven racks to the top of the oven (about 6 inches away from the broiler) and heat to a low broil.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and place the onion slices and garlic on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- Broil for 7-10 minutes and remove the garlic and set aside. Flip the onions over and return to the oven for an additional 7-10 minutes. Watching to make sure the onions do not burn.
- Peel the garlic when it has cooled.
- Wearing rubber gloves remove the stem tops, and cut the length of each chili and remove the veins and seeds.
- Heat up a large skillet on a high heat, turn on the exhaust fan and open your windows.
- Cook the chilies in batches for only 45 seconds on each side, be careful not to over-toast the chilies, it will make the sauce bitter.
- Put the toasted chilies in a large bowl filled with HOT tap water and soak for 30 minutes, place a plate on top to keep them submerged.
- Drain the chilies.
- Put the onions, garlic, chilies, oregano, cumin and broth into the blender and puree, (in batches).
- Heat a large skillet on medium high and add the olive oil, you want it hot but not smoking.
- Add the chili sauce and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the sugar and salt then cook for 30 minutes.
Notes
The sauce will last up to a week in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer.