Skillet Chicken Enchilada Bake

This crowd pleasing recipe is one of those hearty meals that feeds well and then some more! Winter bakes have a way of doing that. This recipe makes for a budget friendly dinner that uses up those odd veggies and leftover meats in the fridge. I went with 2-3 cups each of butternut and broccoli, roast chicken, cooked brown rice and beans. Ive seen similar recipes being called Mexican casserole or enchilada casserole, but essentially its enchilada sans tortilla. So if you need a hearty one pan or pot meal that uses up leftovers, great for a crowd and perfect for weekday make ahead kinda meals try this recipe.

Feel free to use any combination of vegetables, though some work better than others. I recommend butternut, broccoli, sweet potatoes, zucchini, kale, cauliflower, beans. I’ve used broccoli and butternut along with cooked chicken and white beans. Keep it vegetarian with sautéed tofu white beans and ditch the chicken. Further make this meal quicker use good quality red enchilada sauce, a little tomato paste, ground cumin, oregano, I love some adobo sauce for heat and smokiness everything is then topped with jack cheese and baked. Garnishes are the best part, but optional.

Skillet Enchilada Bake 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked brown rice or white rice, other grains like quinoa or barley works well too
• 2-3 cups broccoli, chopped into small bite sized pieces
• 2 cups diced butternut or sweet potatoes, roasted or cooked
• 1 14 oz can white cannellini beans
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 12 oz jar red enchilada sauce store bought or homemade
• 1-2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste’
• Up to 2 cups veggie or chicken broth as needed
• ½ teaspoon regular or Mexican oregano
• 2 cups grated Jack cheese
• GARNISHES: avocado slices, green onions, jalepeno, cilantro

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes. Next add butternut, cumin and saute. Add tomato paste, enchilada sauce, oregano, broth and chipotle with adobo sauce. Cook until the veggies are soft, if using raw butternut, 8-10 minutes, if butternut is cooked and 5-7.
3. Add the broccoli, cooked rice and beans. Check the salt, add more if needed to taste. Mix well. The consistency should be soft like thick lasagna sauce. Cook for another minute covered. Add more broth if it looks dry. The mixture needs to be moist and saucy.
4. Transfer to a baking dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle and spread the jack cheese covering the entire surface of the pan.
5. Transfer the dish to a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until cheese is bubbling and has a few golden spots.
6. Garnish and serve.