Recipe Time: Chicken Tortilla Casserole

One of my issues with lunch time during the work week is that I need something substantial in order to keep me full.  I find that many times I do not get enough protein in.  I am not sure if this will do the trick or not, but Mexican type food sounded good this week, so I decided to develop a concoction that is a taco-like casserole.  One of my favorite fast-food places is Chipotle.  I LOVE me a nice burrito bowl.  I tried to incorporate some of my favorite elements into this casserole.

So, here it is.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Ingredients:

• 12 corn tortillas (I actually used 10 because I was running low, but 12 would have been ideal.)
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast.
• 2 cups of your favorite jarred salsa - I used the organic Meijer brand.
• 1/2 cup of canned, black beans (I do not like a ton of beans, so add more if you like)
• Corn (I had fresh corn on the cob.  I cut the corn off 3 medium-sized ears.)
• 1/2 cup of your favorite canned enchilada sauce
• 1 1/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• Chopped cilantro

Preparation:

1. In the morning, I put one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast in my crockpot with a couple cups of salsa.  I cooked it slow and then later shredded the chicken with a couple forks, for a nice chicken filling.  If you don't have the time to cook the chicken in the crockpot, you could probably speed up the process by cooking on the stove.  I always use the slow cooker though.
2. Once the chicken is finished, start shredding prepping your casserole.
3. Prehead oven to 350.
4. Line the bottom of the pan with a light layer of enchilada sauce.
5. Layer half of the tortillas on top.
6. Add half of your ingredients: chicken, corn, beans.
7. Sprinkle on some cilantro and 1/2 cup of cheese.
8. Repeat the layers only adding the rest of the cheese as the final layer.  
9. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

So, listen.  I am not a professional chef.  This is something I literally made up as I went along.  I measured because I wanted to keep track of my calories.   I made this based solely on my personal tastes.  Feel free to adjust according to what you like and add/subtract calories accordingly.

I plan to serve with a romaine lettuce salad.  If I am really hungry and have the calories, I will definitely add in a small serving of brown rice also.

Servings: 6
Weight Watchers Points/Serving: 9
Calories per serving: 379