The BEST summer bounty Chicken Enchilada casserole!

The BEST summer bounty enchilada casserole!! A few weeks ago while camping- I needed to buy tortillas – so I stopped at the tiny local market and all I could find was a package of some 23 tortillas- as I have mentioned many times I am really trying to reduce food waste- so here we are…..

Enchilada casserole using up some abundance of garden veggies

·        1 tablespoon olive oil

·        1 small white onion, peeled and diced

·        1 large red/orange bell pepper, cored and diced

·        1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed of excess water then measured to 1 cup

·        * for some extra veggies toss in some ¼ cup chopped carrots

·        Handful of leafy greens such as; kale, rainbow chard chopped

·        ¼ - ½ Cup jalapeno/shistio peppers cored and diced

·        1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

·        3 cups (about 1.5 pounds) shredded chicken

·        I jar Siete enchilada Red Sauce

·        12 corn tortillas, halved

·        3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend cheese

·        toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, diced red onion, thinly-sliced green onion and/or diced avocado.

 Pro tip- assemble the day BEFORE you want to cook and eat!!

• Drizzle some olive oil on baking dish.

• Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, jalapeno/shistio- and carrots if using- and sauté for 6-7 minutes, or until softened.

• Stir in beans, zucchini, leafy greens and chicken- cook until greens are wilted- add 2 cups enchilada sauce, and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

• Pour about 1/2 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce in the baking dish and spread until the bottom of the dish is evenly coated. Top with a layer of tortilla halves, so that the entire dish is covered. Top evenly with chicken/veggie mixture, followed by cheese. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, chicken/veggie mixture, and cheese. Followed by a final layer of tortillas, chicken/veggie mixture, the remaining 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce- save the final layer of cheese until last so the cheese doesn’t stick to the foil.

• Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and place in fridge.

• The next day….Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pan covered with foil in oven- bake for 20-30 or until you see some little bubbles.

• Remove pan and remove aluminum foil- sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes, until the cheese is thoroughly melted.

• Remove from the oven and serve warm, garnished with your desired toppings.

• ENJOYYYYYY!!