Layered Roasted Veggie & Chicken Enchiladas

I have fond memories during my middle school years of my mom making delicious enchiladas for my dad and me on the weekends.  Filled with yummy pulled chicken, salsa and lots of gooey cheese they always felt like such a treat, and it took such patience waiting (for what felt like hours) while they cooked and filled the kitchen with fabulous aromas.

Traditionally, enchiladas are tortillas that are rolled up (kind of like a burrito) and stuffed with fillings, then baked under a layer of cheese in the oven.  I came across this stacked enchilada recipe on Perry’s Plate, which is a healthy take on the traditional enchiladas I was used to. Loving that it was loaded with roasted veggies and full of beautiful colors, I decided to give it a shot!

There is a lengthy ingredient list and a good bit of prep work that go into this dish, but they create something so beautiful and flavorful.  My kitchen became enveloped with smells that brought me back home to my mom’s enchiladas, and because it’s so full of vegetables and healthy ingredients I didn’t feel guilty about eating a huge piece and then going back for seconds. 🙂

The recipe just called for roasted vegetables, but I decided to buy a roasted chicken breast from the market and add that in as well.  If you’re a vegetarian, just leave that part out!

Overall, this is a pretty healthy (and incredibly hearty dish.)  If you want to make it healthier, then cut back on the amount of cheese because I used two cups and you could definitely scale back and it would still be fabulous.

Look how thick this thing is!

What you’ll need: poblano chile, bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, corn kernels, oil, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro, salsa, spinach, corn tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream and scallions.  (It’s a mouthful, but so worth it!)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.  Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet.  Drizzle oil and sprinkle the cumin, minced garlic, salt and pepper over top and mix everything together with your hands.

Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting.  Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa.  This freshens up store-bought salsa.

Prepare your baking pan with nonstick spray and now we start layering!  Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan.  Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa as best you can.  I ripped mine into pieces to cover it up so that there weren’t too many pieces of tortilla overlapping and creating thick layers.  There is no exact science to this, so whatever method works for you!

Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, 1/3 of the chicken and 1/3 of the cheese.

Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, chicken and cheese. Top with with a third layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, chicken and cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.  Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares.  Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.

Layered Roasted Veggie & Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe adapted slightly from Perry’s Plate

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium onion, halved and slivered
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 3 T heat-safe oil like grapeseed or coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and black pepper
• 1 roasted chicken breast, shredded or diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups homemade or store-bought salsa/pico de gallo
• 2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
• 6-7 corn tortillas, halved
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar Monterey Jack cheese
• sour cream and thinly sliced scallions for garnish

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.
2. Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top.  Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together.  After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan.
3. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting.
4. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
5. Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.
6. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa.
7. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan.
8. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa.
9. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, 1/3 of the chicken and 1/3 of the cheese.
10. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, chicken and cheese.
11. Top with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, chicken and cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil.
12. Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
13. Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares.
14. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.