Chicken Enchilada Casserole

If you love the flavor of enchiladas but aren’t huge on making your own Paleo tortillas to go with them, here’s the recipe for you: a casserole that combines the classic chili-tomato sauce, shredded meat, and onion-pepper vegetable mix, without the trouble of making any kind of extra delivery vehicle for the good stuff. And don’t be fooled by the “casserole” in the title: the typical casserole might be 50% noodles, 30% canned cream of broccoli soup, and 20% cheese whiz, but this one is fresh-tasting and delicious!

This is a great recipe to make in bulk and save for later – either for lunch tomorrow or frozen in single-serving containers to make emergency “freezer meals” for those days when you just can’t face up to cooking (we’ve all been there).

If you want something starchy and a little bit sweet to round out the classic flavor, plantains would be a great choice, maybe in the form of some crunchy tostones. Or try a quick batch of cauliflower rice as the base of your plate to soak up all that delicious sauce!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe

SERVES: 4 PREP: 20 min. COOK: 30 min.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups pre-cooked chicken, shredded;
• 2 bell peppers, diced;
• 1 red onion, diced;
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced;
• 1 avocado, diced;
• 1 tomato, diced;
• 4 cups mixed greens, chopped;

Ingredients for the enchilada sauce

• 8 oz. tomato sauce;
• 1 cup water;
• ¼ cup. chili powder;
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin;
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder;
• ¼ tsp. onion powder;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. In a saucepan placed over a medium heat, stir together the tomato sauce, water, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 10 minutes.
4. Combine the chicken, bell pepper, red onion, and half of the green onions in a baking dish.
5. Pour the enchilada sauce on top and mix everything together.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
7. Remove the baking dish from oven, and sprinkle the mixed greens, tomato,  avocado, and remaining green onions on top of the chicken mixture.
8. Serve with salsa.