Chicken & Sweet Potato Layered Enchiladas

Chicken & sweet potato layered enchiladas - cut calories and still enjoy the enchiladas you love. Use leftover chicken to make this recipe quick & easy!

Leftovers can be a tough sell. So many things are great the first time around. Hot from the oven meals offer a full sensory package - an alluring appearance, tempting aroma, and mysterious not yet tasted flavors. Unfortunately after the debut leftovers get tossed into a container or covered with plastic wrap then tossed into the refrigerator where they shrivel and congeal. Reheating will perk many dishes back up but if they lack the ability to sell themselves from their container they may never make it back to the table. Tragic!

Last week, I did my grocery shopping early in the week and by Friday the contents of the refrigerator were beginning to loose their luster. Nothing was wrong with the food, it was just a little tired. I had anticipated this. Prior to my shopping trip I did something wildly out of character; I wrote a menu for the week and posted it on the fridge. Winning! The menu really helped me stick to the plan of eating at home and limited my grocery spending to what I would actually need.

There were a few days when I made it to the early evening with very little energy left in the tank. Thanks to the menu I had a tool to talk myself into the kitchen knowing that my bit of effort would result in a meal I would really enjoy. Here is how it played out:

Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup from the freezer (also lunch the next two days), salad w/ fresh raspberry vinaigrette

Tuesday: whole roasted chicken, a mash of cauliflower and baked sweet potato, salad w/ fresh raspberry vinaigrette

Wednesday: Beefy Mushroom Stroganoff, frozen green beans (several lunches came from this one)

Thursday: We had a 6pm appointment and grabbed dinner out after. It turned out to be a disappointing meal - next time I may pack sandwiches.

Friday: Tuesday night's roasted chicken with mashed cauliflower & sweet potato became Friday night's Enchilada Casserole.

I'll be honest, I had not planned to share this casserole with you but while we were eating, Mr. Second Helpings and I agreed that it was just the sort of recipe lacking in my collection. That is, a recipe reflecting the way I normally cook. I like things that come together on the fly, use random bits of this and that, and re-purpose leftovers to give them a chance to shine in a brand new way.

All the meals I made during the week left us with prepared food for lunches and ingredients for future meals. The planning cut down on the time I spent brainstorming and cooking throughout the week. By the weekend I had the joy of choosing between stroganoff or enchiladas for both lunches and dinner. I imagine many of you are shaking your head at my conclusion because you already organize your meals this way. I'll admit I am not the world's sharpest tack but I'm working on it and for now my small efforts will have to be good enough.

Chicken & Sweet Potato Layered Enchiladas

Rose McAvoy

Layered enchiladas are a great calorie cutting trick because they use less tortillas. The overall effect is pretty much the same as rolled enchiladas. This recipe is a great way to use leftover roast chicken.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

  

Layer 1

• 2 cups mashed sweet potato see note
• 3 cups diced chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon dry Italian herb blend

Layer 2

• 1 cup roma tomatoes diced
• 1 cup green bell pepper diced
• 1 bunch green onion all the white and ½ of green parts, sliced

Layer 3

• 10 ounce enchilada verde sauce
• 4 8 in tortillas, cut into 3 strips each
• ½ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the oven to 400F
• In a large bowl: combine the ingredients for layer 1. In a small bowl combine the ingredients for layer 2.

Assemble the enchilada lasagna:

• Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, use just enough to coat.
• Arrange the tortilla strips to create a even layer, this may require cutting a few smaller pieces to fill in the spaces.
• Spread half the sweet potato mixture evenly over the tortillas, top with half of the vegetables, and pour half of the remaining enchilada sauce over the top.
• Make a second layer of tortilla strips and repeat the layering as above.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the top then cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Notes

Quickly cook sweet potatoes by poking them with a fork and microwaving on high for 10 minutes or until soft. Allow them to cool slightly before cutting in half and scooping out the soften sweet potato.