This easy, cheesy Mexican casserole recipe with salsa verde makes it simple to serve a nutritious dinner for a crowd on even the busiest of weeknights.
Arrrrrriba! This year I’m happy to share recipes created as a Kroger blogging ambassador, where I will featuring all sorts of products from Kroger grocery stores for my family, and for yours including this festive dish aimed squarely at celebrations for Cinco de Mayo.
But even before our South of the border bash was a 🎉 festiva in our eye 🎉, my Smudge decided an impromptu sleepover with her gal pals was in order.
Also in order? An easy dinner that would feed a crowd. Even the picky ones.
This chicken enchilada bake totally delivered, with one of my favorite tricks added right in to it: I snuck a little healthy in.
This recipe has seen many incarnations in my kitchen. It’s easy that way, totally adaptable to your cravings.
But an even better part of this casserole is that I can pick up just about everything already cooked and peeled and diced from Smith’s Marketplace. All that’s left is heading home to assemble and bake.
I picked up shredded chicken from the deli and pre-cut butternut squash from the produce aisle. Pre-cut butternut squash is one of my favorite shortcuts because I am not always up to being a butternut squash wrangler. And time was of the essence.
I had hungry tweens beckoning!
Kroger has so many private label brands that they always make up the bulk of my cart. In fact, for this recipe, whether it was organic, value, or freshly made in the store, everything but one item (Cotija cheese) was a Kroger brand. And bonus! The Cotija was on sale!
Unlike regular enchiladas, this recipe is a layered casserole of Mexican flavors. It makes it easy to serve because you don’t have to follow the tortilla lines once everything has melted together and portion sizes can be rationed easily.
I love my recipe for homemade Hatch Chile Salsa Verde. But it gets eaten fast and isn’t around for long. Our favorite substitute is Kroger’s Tomatillo Salsa Verde. It makes it’s way onto my husband’s over easy eggs and sour cream tortilla breakfast pretty much each and every morning.
The sauce for this dish is a mix of Kroger’s salsa verde and low-fat sour cream that smothers the layered tortillas, cheese, butternut squash, chicken and black beans.
Everyone has a preference for tortillas and I do too. I’ve made this recipe with yellow corn, white corn and flour tortillas and I have to say, my favorite is flour tortillas.
Because these tortillas aren’t fried beforehand and are baked for a longer amount of time, they can get a little too soft for my liking. So for my preference, I go for flour. But by all means, make your own selection for your cravings.
Like most dishes, it’s all about the condiments for me. Fresh cilantro is always a favorite, and my husband always requests black olives in just about every Mexican dish. And I wouldn’t dare forget the sour cream.
But a new addition to the fold was my discovery of Kroger’s Sweet and Hot Jalapeños. I have a killer pickled jalapeño recipe, but like my salsa verde, we go through them fast so it’s off to the store we go. The sweet and spicy flavors of the Kroger brand is so good with it’s sweet bite.
Whoda known jalapeños could be so sweet. Even Pippa is ready for a bite.
If you try this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 16- ounce jars Kroger Tomatillo Salsa Verde Mild about 4 cups
- 1 cup Kroger low-fat sour cream
- 18 small Kroger flour or white corn tortillas
- 1/2 pound shredded deli chicken meat
- 2 cups Kroger pre-diced butternut squash
- 1 16- ounce can Simply Organic black beans rinsed and drained
- 4 cups shredded cheese such as a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses
- 1 3- ounce can Kroger sliced olives drained
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Sour cream sliced avocado and pickled sweet and hot jalapeño peppers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spray a 9 X 11 inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the tomatillo salsa verde with the sour cream. Spread 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer 6 of the small tortillas on the bottom of the pan. Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the tortillas then layer 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the butternut squash and 1/3 of the black beans. Top with 1/3 of the cheese and repeat the process 2 more times, but set aside the last layer of cheese.
- Spray one side of a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan then bake for 60-70 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble. Remove the foil and top with the remaining cheese and bake until melted, about 10 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with sliced olives, green onions and cilantro. Garnish with sour cream, avocado slices and pickled sweet and hot jalapeños.
- **Optional: Sprinkle Cotija cheese on top for a tart cheese burst of flavor.
This post is in partnership with Kroger. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
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