Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Happy Monday, friends! Did you get a chance to see the lunar eclipse last night? Or were you in one of the areas that were too cloudy? J and I were able to see it, but the clouds definitely made it duller than it could have been. I did get to see the super moon at 6:15 this morning. It was super bright! Country living definitely has it's perks.

And slowly the temperatures are easing their way down. We are nowhere near fall or winter temps, but I'll take a high of 86 degrees today with a smile! And with seasons-a-changin', that means it's time to start thinking about more cool-weather meals. Like casseroles. Not that those aren't good for any time of year, but for those of you who don't care to turn on the oven much in summer...it's time to turn those babies on!! And this enchilada casserole would be a great way to welcome cooler weather.

Aside from my mama's beef enchiladas, my favorite kind of enchilada for a very long time was chicken enchiladas with verde sauce. If I went to a Mexican restaurant and ordered enchiladas, that's what kind it would be. Never beef. Never cheese. Chicken with verde sauce. Because, yum. 

And anytime I hear "tomatillo" I immediately think of verde sauce, and I think, yes please, rightthissecond. But when you thrown the word "roasted" in front of it, that's a whole 'nutha ball game there, friends. The smokiness that roasting gives to the tomatillos and jalapenos rounds it all out, very nicely. And of course, I love all things spicy, a la jalapeno, so...yeah. I was all over this recipe. 

It definitely had some kick to it, especially with the fresh jalapeno slices on top. But the flavor of the sauce was sooooooo good. You can always cut the jalapenos in half and de-seed before roasting if you want to eliminate the heat factor.  

Creamy, spicy, and chock full of chicken and cheese, layered between tortillas. Yep. That's good stuff right there.

Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Casserole

As seen on Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

• 15 tomatillos, paper removed
• 2 jalapeno peppers (plus one extra for topping, if desired)
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 8-inch flour tortillas (you can use 9 if you want 3 tortillas per layer)
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1½ cups shredded cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil. Place the tomatillos and jalapeno peppers on the baking sheet. and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip/stir and roast another 10-15 minutes.
2. Carefully transfer the tomatillos and jalapenos to a food processor, and add the garlic, cilantro and green onions. Pulse until mostly smooth, then add the yogurt, broth, and oil. Pulse just enough to mix (processor may be very full at this point so be careful. Alternately, you can mix the yogurt, broth,and oil into the tomatillo mixture in a bowl by hand instead of the food processor, if that is easier.)
3. Meanwhile, trim the chicken of any fat, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, spray with cooking spray or drizzle with a tablespoon of oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through. 
4. To assemble the casserole, spray a 9x9 casserole dish with cooking spray and place 1 whole tortilla and 2 halves of another tortilla, torn in half, to cover the bottom. Top with half the chicken, 1/3 of the sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat this layer again (tortillas, the remaining chicken, 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the cheese.) The final layer will be the remaining tortillas (1 whole, 1 in halves) and the remaining sauce and cheese. 
5. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet, in case there is any sauce spillover. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with cilantro and sliced jalapeno, if desired.