This spicy casserole gives you great leftovers to make a tasty stew.

Here's another one of my favorites: Chicken and Roasted Poblano Casserole
It's perfect to make on the weekend because it does take a little extra time
But...the beauty of this recipe is that you end up with leftovers to transform into a yummy soup.
And I loooove turning leftovers into something that isn't just a reheated form of what you ate last night.

Plus it is perfectly spicy and is filled with cheesy, saucy goodness with a crunch layer of tortillas on top.
So that extra time it takes to prepare this meal...yeah, it's worth it.

Trust me

Chicken and Roasted Poblano Casserole
Ingredients
- 5 whole poblano peppers
- 1 teaspoon oil avocado or olive
- 1.25 lb chicken breasts or tenders
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 2 limes
- 2 onions diced
- 28 ounce can Green Enchilada Sauce
- 12 oz Mexican-style beer {like Corona or Pacifico}
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ยผ cup cilantro chopped
- 6 small corn tortillas cut in half
- 1 ยผ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 5 oz., divided
Instructions
Make the sauce
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Put the whole poblano peppers on the prepared baking sheet, and roast in preheated oven for 5-6 minutes per side {total of 10-12 minutes}.
- Remove from oven, and wrap the foil around the peppers. Set aside. {This helps the peels come off easier}. Reduced oven temperature to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or very large skillet. Add the chicken. Sprinkle salt over chicken and squeeze 1 lime over chicken. Depending on the size of your chicken pieces, it will take 5-10 minutes per side {more for large chicken breasts, less for chicken tenders}.
- Add in the onions while the chicken is cooking. Stir occasionally. {The lime juice and the onions will caramelize in the pan, making it turn brown. But this is a good thing & gives great flavor to the dish}
- When the chicken is done, remove from pan & set aside to cool.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add in enchilada sauce and beer. Scrape up any bits of chicken or onion that have caramelized in the pan.
- While that simmers, carefully open up the foil wrapped peppers. Peel them {as best as you can; not all of the peels will come off that easily}, and chop them. Shred the chicken.
- Add the chopped poblano peppers and shredded chicken to the enchilada sauce mixture.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Then, stir in juice from the remaining lime, cumin, and chopped cilantro. Remove from heat.
- Reserve 4 cups of the chicken-pepper sauce for the leftover recipe {Chicken & Roasted Poblano Stew}.
Assemble to casserole
- Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with non-stick spray. Line it with 4 tortilla halves {with the flat halves lining the dish}. Sprinkle with ยผ cup cheese over the tortilla halves.
- Put about 2 cups sauce in the dish over the tortillas & cheese.
- Top with 4 tortilla halves {with the flat halves lining the dish}. Sprinkle ยฝ cup cheese over tortillas.
- Spoon the remaining sauce over cheese. Top with 4 more tortilla halves, as directed above and sprinkle with remaining ยฝ cup cheese.
- Bake in 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is browned and the casserole is bubbly.
- Serve with avocado, fresh cilantro, and plain yogurt if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
*Based on a recipe from Amy Myrdal presented at the 2008Â Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference


Tomorrow, I'll have the leftover recipe for the Chicken & Roasted Poblano Stew plus top 10 favorite recipes from the year.
Marie says
This looks great!
memeinge says
Thanks! It's one of my favorites, especially since I can reuse the leftovers for something equally as good
Michelle says
OMG, I better leave the computer before I drool all over it! This looks delish! I love Mexican and I can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing at Creative Thursday ๐ Have a wonderful weekend.
Michelle
memeinge says
Thanks! This is sooo delicious ๐