Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

I was really craving something Mexican inspired.  This wasn't going to be authentic in any sense of the word and this recipe is out of my own head, so it was an experiment.  I was also trying to think of making it healthy or healthier.  I was still thinking of the vegan stuffed shells filling I recently made and wondered if I could do a layer of tofu "requesón" in the casserole?  😉 (requesón is like a Mexican ricotta).  I really went goo goo gaa gaa over that filling!  I was about to find out.  I decided that would save on the "cheese" calories and cholesterol by making it and then I would just put cheese on the top.


I didn't want to make my own enchilada sauce today, so it was going to be tricky to find something pre-made that wasn't full of sodium and other processed ingredients.  I did find an easy one that I will try and make next time but I was actually craving green sauce today.  I bought chef Rick Bayless' line of green enchilada sauce and it was loaded with sodium as expected, though it was all natural with no gluten or preservatives.

It was my best option, and best of all was that I didn't have to do any work for it except hand over my wallet.

So for my "requesón", I used a brick of organic non-gmo, extra firm tofu (12 oz), pressed out the water and put it in the food processor.  To that I added:

• A handful of cilantro - stems and all
• 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon of crushed chili flakes
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano (I wished I had Mexican oregano)

That sounded pretty good to me and I hoped it would work.  I blended it all up and set it aside in the fridge.

For the rest of the dish, I used:

• Shredded chicken 
• 12 small corn tortillas, heated in non-stick fry pan with avocado oil ( I halved some to make it fit in proper layers for a 13" x 9" baking dish)
• 1 can of mild diced chilies
• Bunch of kale leaves, stemmed and chopped coarsely
• 2 bags - 8 oz each of green enchilada sauce
• 1 bunch of green onions, sliced and also used for garnish
• 1 500 gram tub of 0% fat Greek yogurt (this was going to expire and I had to use it)
• Handful of cilantro, stems removed and chopped finely and more for garnish
• Jar of Trader Joe's Hatch Valley Salsa (Spicy)

• 1 bag (3 cups) Kraft shredded Mexican cheese

I roasted a chicken in the oven earlier in the day.  I let it cool, then removed all the bones and skin and shredded the meat.  I put the bones, skin and juices in a Ziploc bag and put it in the freezer to make stock another time.

I mixed the chicken with some enchilada sauce, not much, just enough to coat it.  I  seasoned with some fresh cracked pepper and put it into the fridge.

I chopped the kale and put it back in the fridge too.

I got the tortillas ready next.

I laid them on a paper towel lined plate when done and patted the oil off between layers.

I started the assembly.  I put about half a cup of enchilada sauce in the "Pam" sprayed baking dish.

I put the first layer of tortillas down.

I put on some chicken and then some Hatch chili salsa, cilantro, green onions and enchilada sauce over it.

I put down a layer of kale.

On the next layer, I put the tortillas down, a half cup of sauce, then spread the tofu cheese over it.  I dotted with a little salsa.

The last layer was exactly the same as the first.

The final sauce for the top of the casserole was the yogurt, diced chilies and remaining enchilada sauce.  I stirred it all together until mixed well.

I poured it over and then topped with the cheese.

I put the dish on a baking sheet.  It went into a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes.

I let it rest for 20 minutes.

So, it was really tasty and I have no complaints about that at all.  Everything inside that dish tasted fantastic.   I loved the salsa in it.

The tortillas became mush though.  😞  That ruined the texture of the dish.  I loved the taste of the corn though.  I wonder if I should have fried them until crisp?  I think this would have worked better with lasagna noodles...I would do this again, but will have to figure a way to improve that one element or just use pasta.  I did read that corn tortillas with added wheat or wheat gluten stand up much better to dishes like this.  Today I had no choice in brand, the store I went to only had this one type so it could be that it was a cheap brand and is why they disintegrated into mush? If the tortillas would have held up, I would be patting myself on the back at an awesome dish...