Who needed the groundhog predicting six more weeks of winter? It was rather obvious when the snow started falling on Feb. 1, wasn’t it?
There’s something about a long winter that demands comfort food, and today I have a couple of recipes that any family will enjoy. The beauty of casseroles is that they barely require any tending; just put them in the oven and take some time to yourself while they cook.
The Tex-Mex chicken enchilada casserole is a delicious dinner option when you’re craving Southwestern-style comfort food, and what isn’t there to love about stuffed peppers? One of the best things about casseroles is that they get baked and no one can really see inside, so you can add other healthy vegetables to almost any recipe that fussy eaters won’t notice.
Make up extra for the freezer and get back to reading your books, or working on other projects you had no time for during the busy time of the year. Both these recipes are gluten-free.
One Pot Stuffed Pepper Casserole
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef (ground turkey or chicken can be substituted)
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced large bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 – 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cups beef broth (chicken or vegetable)
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup white rice, uncooked
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, or cheddar blend
Over a medium-high heat, brown ground beef with onions and garlic and cook for about 5–7 minutes, breaking into small pieces as the beef browns. Add peppers and salt and pepper and cook for about 5-7 more minutes, until peppers have started to soften. (NOTE: if you didn’t use extra lean beef, you will need to drain off some of the fat at this point.)
Reduce heat to medium and add in tomatoes with juice, broth, tomato sauce, soy sauce and Italian seasoning. Stir until well-combined. Bring mixture to a boil. Now add in your uncooked rice. Return to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until rice is tender.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Serve right away and enjoy! Got leftovers? Make a Stuffed Pepper Wrap for lunch the next day! Yum!
Chicken Enchilada
Casserole
3 cups red enchilada sauce (I highly recommend homemade red enchilada sauce, recipe below)
16 corn tortillas, halved
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
6 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
4 cups (about 1.5 pounds) shredded cooked chicken
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced and sprinkled with lemon juice
1/2 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream, optional
Salsa, optional
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Pour about 3/4 cup enchilada sauce in the baking dish, and spread until the bottom of the dish is coated.
Top with a layer of about 8 tortilla halves so that the entire dish is covered. Sprinkle evenly with about 1 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn and a fourth of the green onions. Then sprinkle with a heaping cup of the chicken, and about 3/4 cup shredded cheese.
Repeat with a second layer of tortillas, then sauce, then beans, corn, green onions, chicken and cheese. Then a final layer of tortillas, sauce, beans, corn, green onions, chicken and cheese. Then conclude with a final layer of tortillas and sauce (reserving about 3/4 cup of cheese to add partway through baking).
Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan and remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas evenly with the remaining 3/4 cup of cheese, then return to the oven (uncovered) and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Remove pan, and sprinkle with avocado, cilantro, remaining green onions and sour cream or salsa if using. Serve warm.
Red Enchilada Sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
2 Tbsp. all-purpose or gluten-free flour
4 Tbsp. chili powder (not cayenne )
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir together over the heat for one minute. Stir in the remaining seasonings (chili powder through oregano).
Then gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly to remove lumps. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until thick.
Use immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.
Cathi Litzenberger is The Morning Star’s longtime food columnist, appearing every other Wednesday and one Sunday per month.
