chicken enchilada casserole

this is a favorite around here. it's easy, fast and very versitile! some days we make it with just cheese, other days with chicken or ground beef. i can throw in jalepenos, green chiles or onions. the prep time is less than 5 minutes, the cooking time less than 20. that's dinner on the table in less than a half hour! 

perfect.

chicken enchilada casserole

ingredients:

2 T vegetable oil

2 T taco seasoning

(alton brown's is my favorite. i lessened the salt a bit, tripled the recipe & keep it in a small jar)

1 chicken breast

(because we're cleaning out our freezer for the move & it's all i had. 2 would be more filling)

1 can enchilada sauce

(we use La Victoria. it has an authentic flavor, is inexpensive & gluten free!)

12 corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cheese

(or less if you like your arteries. we like cheese)

directions:

season chicken with taco seasoning & saute in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. 

once the chicken is cooked through, shred it.

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

spread a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce in the bottom of your dish. cover with tortillas: two whole & one ripped in half will cover my whole dish. experiment to see what covers yours.

 begin layering ingredients: cheese, chicken, cheese, tortillas, enchilada sauce. repeat. 

i didn't have enough chicken for all the layers so i kept going with just cheese. 

after your final layer, pour on the last of the enchilada sauce and top with cheese one more time. 

when you zoom out a little you see what was really happening while i took pictures...

cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. 

remove foil and return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. 

devour.