Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Fresh green chile and Oregon Pinot Noir are two of my favorite comfort foods in the fall. Pre-Covid you would find green chile roasters set up at your local Oregon farmers market starting in September, or here in Denver they switch out the 4th of July Fireworks stands and make them into green chile stands. If you can find fresh Hatch green chile, it is the best! Ask them to roast them for you on site, then put them in plastic bags and allow them to steam so it is easier to remove the skin. Once you get them home, peel the skin and freeze the chiles, portioning them out about six in a bag, so you have fresh chile all year long. If you can’t find a green chile stand in your area, or if you eat all of your stash and run out like I do, most grocery stores carry frozen green chile. I typically use the Bueno brand. Whatever you do, don’t used canned green chiles for this recipe. They just don’t have the same flavor and it doesn’t turn out well.
Green Chile is the star of this dish, complemented by plenty of delicious cheese, Tillamook if you can find it, another favorite of mine. I typically use chicken breasts, but you can also use thighs or a combination of both, or some leftover rotisserie chicken; really any cooked chicken that you have on hand will do. You can work ahead and put the casserole together up to 24 hours in advance and keep it in your refrigerator, making it a great choice if you are having people over for dinner! If you do make it ahead, just be sure to let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before you put it in the hot oven. If you have any leftovers, warm up a slice and top it with an over easy egg for a delicious breakfast.
Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Oven: 350
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced into bite sized cubes (about 2 Cups)
2 10 ½ ounce cans of cream of chicken soup
1 C whole milk
13 oz container of Bueno frozen or freshly roasted hot green chiles (do not use canned chiles)
4 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 flour burrito size tortillas cut into one-inch strips
Bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir for the Cook
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9x2 casserole dish and set aside. Drink some wine. Mix soup, milk, and chiles. Drink some wine. Cover the bottom of the prepared casserole dish with some of the soup mixture. Drink some wine. Arrange a layer of tortilla strips, then top with one cup of chicken, one cup of cheese and some of the soup mixture. Drink some wine. Arrange a second layer of tortilla strips going in the opposite direction as the first layer, top with the rest of the chicken, one cup of cheese and some of the soup mixture. Drink some wine. Arrange a final layer of tortillas in the opposite direction of the second layer, pour remaining soup mixture over the tortillas and top with remaining cheese. Finish the bottle of wine while the casserole bakes for one hour until the dish is bubbling and the cheese on top forms into a crispy crust. Enjoy!
Love, Carolyn
