Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Since it really doesn’t feel like summer yet in Chicago, with highs in the 60’s and getting into the 40’s at night, I can still make comfort food like this, since we don’t need the air conditioner on yet!

I got this recipe from Diabetic Living Magazine. My sister is diabetic, and my Dad was diabetic, so its something I will always have to look out for. And especially since we are twins, I will most likely get it sometime in my life, I’m just hoping it will be a LONG time from now!

For the chicken, I used these great grilled chicken strips I bought from Aldi grocery store. They come in a big bag, frozen and they can be heated up in the microwave for a quick chicken taco, or added to soups and dishes like this.

I made a few varations, (like beans on the side), but I will post the original and you can adjust it to suit your tastes, or add things you like!

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup light dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast or turkey breast (about 8 ounces)
1 8-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained, or 1 or 2 canned jalapeño chile peppers, rinsed, seeded, and fin
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro or 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Nonstick cooking spray
4 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 cup canned black beans or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For chicken filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, onion, bouillon granules, garlic, and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Do not drain. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, nonfat dry milk powder, and flour; add to onion mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in chicken. Set filling aside.

2. In another small bowl, combine tomato sauce, chile peppers, and snipped cilantro. Set aside.

3. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange tortilla strips in the baking dish. Top with chicken filling. Top with beans. Top with tomato sauce mixture.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. If desired, garnish with cilantro leaves. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 (1-cup) servings.

*Test Kitchen Tip: Because chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the peppers, wash your hands and nails well with soap and warm water.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Servings: 6 (1-cup) servings
Calories 219
Total Fat (g) 6
Saturated Fat (g) 3
Cholesterol (mg) 43
Sodium (mg) 420
Carbohydrate (g) 23
Fiber (g) 5
Protein (g) 19
Diabetic Exchanges
Starch (d.e.) 1
Vegetables (d.e.) .5
Very Lean Meat (d.e.) 2
Fat (d.e.) 1

*For the dry milk powder. I bought a box about a year ago for cookies I was making. (the cookies did NOT turn out good!) They come in pouches, and if you were to add water, its enough to make a gallon of milk. You can store these in your freezer and they will last forever. I have used them for making mac and cheese if I don’t have any milk on hand, you can add it to milk shakes to make them richer. I think I have only used 1 package the whole time, but its nice to have on hand in case you need it.