Chicken and black bean enchilada casserole
We were up at the ski hill on the weekend and I forgot a few things for dinner; a perfect excuse to just make something up. This is that dinner. It was Friday, I wanted it to be simple, in the oven, and barely make a mess. Casseroles aren’t really my jam - but damn they’re quick and easy. For completely winging it, it turned out good! With a few tweaks, I would definitely make it again - PK be damned.
Tonight’s cookin’ song:
Tonight’s takes:
Husband (PK): “Too soupy. And I’m going to get personal here. You tend to not brown your meat enough when you cook. The meat doesn’t have a nice texture. It’s almost slimy.”
Helen (7 years old): “I liked it. It could have just been less soupy; more thick in a way. I liked it though.”
Hector (5 years old): “Not that much. 2 or 3 out of 1, 2 out of 2, 3 out of 4, I’d say.” Anything else? “You’re wasting my time.”
Our friends:
Jayce: “Good flavour. Too watery.”
Eric: “If I was going to have a chicken enchilada casserole, it’s on par. You do want it watery. You can just add more rice. There are more ingredients you can add after to make it your own; to make it more spicy if you want. It’s good with the jalapeños and the hot sauce. I think it’s a good dish; a good hearty dish for the ski cabin. Now I’m ready for skiing tomorrow! ”
What I used:
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
5 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 white onion
1 can black beans
Bunch of cilantro
2 cans red enchilada sauce (296 ml each)
2 cups rice
Served with:
Cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
Grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole
Pickled jalapeños
Hot sauce
Tortilla chips
Small tortillas for make-shift tacos
What I did:
Turned the oven onto 350°F. Cut my chicken breasts into pieces similar in size to the thighs. Arranged my chicken and beans in the baking dish.
Diced the cilantro stems. Saved the cilantro leaves for garnish.
Diced the onion.
Added the cilantro stems and onions to the dish.
Added 2 cans of red enchilada sauce. Mixed everything up. Put it in the oven
Made my rice. 2 cups short grain rice and 4 cups of water with a pinch of salt.
Let it bake for 25 mins. That’s it!
Served with everything I listed above - I forgot to grab of photo of the final plate. Sorry!
Next time:
There was too much liquid. I’d bake it on a higher temp, at least 375°F, so the sauce would thicken and even brown a bit. But the chicken was super moist, so I liked that it cooked in the sauce.
If PK insisted on having the meat browned, I’d brown skin-on chicken pieces in oil first in a Dutch oven and then add all the same ingredients in. I’d nestle the chicken amongst the sauce, veg, and beans, keeping the skin above the liquid so it would stay crispy. It’d still bake it at 375°F for 25 mins.
I’d maybe try a different red enchilada sauce brand. The ‘slimy’ PK was complaining about was from the sauce, not the chicken - it had a thickening agent in it that I’m pretty sure was the culprit.
It was tasty and easy as heck. Eric’s invited for dinner anytime.
😋😋
-Ellisa