Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

I was debating on if I should include this recipe on my blog or not. I found that the finished product was bland as written, but it improved a great deal once I topped it with salsa and some mashed avocado. Ultimately, I think it is a good dish that needs some tweaking to give it more flavor. I decided to include it because I think this recipe has great potential, but I would definitely recommend playing around with it to suit your tastes.

Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole
From: Julianna Grimes Bottcher; Cooking Light magazine, NOVEMBER 2006

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 cup thinly sliced onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (7 3/4-ounce) can salsa de chile fresco (such as El Pato)
15 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup shredded queso blanco (about 4 ounces)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken; cook 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; stir in beans. Add broth and salsa to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Place half of tortilla strips in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of chicken mixture over tortillas; top with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Pour broth mixture evenly over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information:
Yield: 6 Servings
Calories:293 (15% from fat)
Fat:4.9g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.5g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:22.9g
Carbohydrate:40g
Fiber:5.9g
Cholesterol:46mg
Iron:2.3mg
Sodium:602mg
Calcium:200mg

Jen's Notes:
As I said, I would top this with your favorite salsa and some mashed avocado (or guacamole) at the table. I couldn't find Queso Blanco, so I substituted Asadero cheese instead.



The Result:
This is a good recipe that could be great once tweaked. I think I will play around with it some more and see if I can come up with something that is just as healthy, but more flavorful.