Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

The quest for wellness in 2013 continues….

So far I’ve followed through of my goals for the new year.  I quit the over priced gym, purchased a treadmill for my home, and even started doing P90X.

…..and even still  doing P90X after 2 weeks.  Sometimes I want to slap Tony Horton in the face, especially on the days where you alternate push-ups and pull-ups for an hour.

It would help if I could do a pull up.

I’m also trying to be more conscious of the types of food I’m consuming on a daily basis and attempting to avoid foods that are heavily over processed.  I’m even trying to cut back on a SERIOUS Coke Zero addiction…..

Do they have support groups for Coke Zero addicts?

I’ve been having a blast working my way through a few new Light and Healthy books and one of my recent favorites is this flavorful Mexican chicken casserole.  It’s actually hard to believe that that it’s only 510 calories a serving because it’s delicious!

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and adjusting oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Spread the tortilla wedges on 2 rimmed baking sheets and lightly coat both sides of the wedges with vegetable oil spray.  Bake the wedges until they are lightly browned and begin to crisp, about 8 to 12 minutes.  Flip the tortillas and continue to bake until the chips are fully toasted, about 8 to 12 minutes longer.  Set the wedges aside and increase the oven heat to 500 degrees.

Combine the chiles, 1 cup of the onions, canola oil, 1/8 tsp of salt in a 12-inch skillet.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the veggies are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, stir occasionally, and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 4 to 6 minutes longer.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, garlic, and chipotles and cook until they start smelling yummy, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the chicken broth.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.  Nestle the chicken into sauce and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes.  Flip the chicken, cover, and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes longer.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and when cook enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-size pieces.  Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and process until completely smooth, about 1 minute.  Return the sauce to the skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Stir in the tortilla wedges and cook in the sauce until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.  Stir the shredded chicken in and transfer the entire mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish.

Sprinkle with the cheese and bake on the lower-middle rack until hot throughout, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir the sour cream and lime juice together and drizzle over the casserole.   Sprinkle with the remaining onion, remaining cilantro, chopped tomato, and enjoy!

Seriously.  Yum.

Ingredients

• 10 (6-inch) corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
• Vegetable oil spray
• 2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• Salt
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• Pepper
• 3 oz crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese (about 3/4 cup)
• 3/4 low-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped medium

Serve 4

Nutritional Info

Per Serving:

• Calories: 510
• Fat: 10 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 110 mg
• Carbohydrates: 51g
• Protein: 47 g
• Fiber 6 g
• Sodium: 700 mg

Original Recipe, Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole, America’s Test Kitchen: Light and Healthy 2011