Tag Archives: casserole

Monterey Tortilla Casseroles

Nonstick spray coating
6 6-inch corn tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
1 16-ounce jar salsa verde
3 tablespoons light dairy sour cream
3 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup crumbled Mexican chihuahua or farmer cheese (4 ounces)
Light dairy sour cream (optional)
Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)
Chopped tomato (optional)
Jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

Spray four 10- to 12-ounce baking dishes with nonstick coating. Place 5 tortilla wedges in the bottom of each dish. Place remaining tortilla pieces on a baking sheet; bake in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Meanwhile, combine chicken, corn, salsa, the 3 tablespoons sour cream, cilantro, and flour. Divide mixture among dishes.
Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Arrange baked tortilla pieces atop casseroles. Top with cheese; bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. If desired, garnish with additional sour cream, jalapeno slices, cilantro, and tomato. Makes 4 servings.
To bake frozen casseroles: Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through. Top with tortilla pieces and cheese; bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. Garnish as above.
To micro-cook frozen casseroles: Cover microwave-safe casseroles with waxed paper; micro-cook on 30% power, allowing 4 minutes for 1 casserole and 5 minutes for 2 casseroles. Continue cooking, covered, on 100% power until heated through, allowing 2 to 4 minutes for 1 casserole or 3 to 6 minutes for 2 casseroles, rotating the dishes once. Top with baked tortilla pieces and cheese; micro-cook, uncovered, about 30 seconds more or until cheese is melted. Garnish as above.
Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble casseroles as directed above, except do not top with baked tortilla pieces; place baked pieces in a moisture- and vapor-proof plastic bag. Freeze casseroles and tortilla pieces up to 1 month.

Hashbrown Strata

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups frozen loose-pack diced hash brown potatoes with onion and peppers
1 cup cut broccoli florets
1/3 cup finely chopped turkey bacon or turkey ham (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup evaporated fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 8-ounce cartons refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange hash brown potatoes and broccoli in bottom of baking dish; top with turkey bacon or ham. Set aside.
Stir milk gradually into flour in a medium bowl. Stir in egg product, half of the cheese, the snipped or dried basil, and black pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes. If desired, garnish with fresh basil sprigs. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

Make-ahead Tip: Assemble as above, but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours. Before serving, remove cover and bake as directed above.

Serves 8

Eggplant Parmesean

4 eggplants, sliced 1/2″ thick
dash salt
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle salt on slices of eggplant. Let sit for 30 minutes, blot moisture from eggplant slices.

Dip each slice of eggplant in egg then in bread crumbs. Fry in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Put one cup of sauce on bottom of 13×9″ baking dish. Layer eggplant slices, top with sauce then cheeses.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until cheese is bubbly.

8 Servings

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

From Southern Living

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (6-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup to 1 cup chopped pecans

Stir together chicken and next 6 ingredients.
Arrange 3 noodles in a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; top with half of chicken mixture. Repeat layers with remaining noodles and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pecans.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 45 minutes; uncover, and bake 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

To Make Ahead: Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking; proceed as directed.

To lighten: Substitute reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup, 2% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and reduced-fat sour cream.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

From Cooking Light

Cooking spray
1 1/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breast
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup beer
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, drained
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten or 6 tablespoons egg substitute
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut in half
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; let cool. Shred chicken with 2 forks; set aside.

Recoat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add shredded chicken, beer, red pepper, and tomatoes; cook 10 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Remove from heat. Reserve 1 tablespoon green onions and 1 tablespoon olives for garnish. Stir remaining green onions, remaining olives, and chiles into chicken mixture; set aside.

Combine flour, salt, cumin, and coriander in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Place over medium heat; cook 7 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg whites, stirring constantly with whisk. Set aside.

Place cheeses in a bowl; toss well. Set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in bottom of a 2 1/2-quart round casserole or soufflé dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 tortilla halves over sauce; top with 2 cups chicken mixture, 1/2 cup white sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with sauce. Set remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture aside.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture, reserved green onions, and reserved olives; bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

NOTE: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time; cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight, then bake at 350º for 1 hours or until bubbly. Or freeze casserole, thaw in refrigerator 24 hours, then bake for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 1 tablespoon salsa)