Mexican Chicken Lasagna

One of the new items I’ve recently gotten for my kit was the Deep Covered Baker. With it, I can make meals in both the oven and the microwave and I wanted to see how it would work. The first recipe I tried was this Mexican Chicken Lasagna and I have to say that it came out good, but I’m making some changes.

First off, there was so not enough cheese. Granted, I’m sure you’re thinking “Jackie, of course there wasn’t enough cheese.  You love cheese and they never include enough for you.”  While that is normally true, its not this time around.  The recipe says to make three different layers, but I barely had enough cheese for two, so I’ve already doubled the cilantro, cream cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese that the recipe called for.  I haven’t tried it with these new measurements yet, so if you do and end up with leftover cheese, that’s why.  Either way, be generous with the cheese if you want.  I actually like this mixture for a lasagna since I normally find ricotta to be a little much for me.

The one thing Jesse didn’t like was the enchilada sauce that was used.  It didn’t bother me, but I did adjust that amount a little.  The recipe called for 1 (28oz) can, but I ended up buying 2 (10oz) cans and that seemed like a lot to me. Granted, I only did the two layers, but it was still really runny.  Again, I haven’t tried it with the new measurement, so it’s up to you whether you want to use a 20oz or 28oz amount of sauce.  Jesse isn’t a fan of enchilada sauce to begin with, which is why he wasn’t crazy about it, but there is a variation for a sour cream sauce (see below) that can be used instead.  Next time, I plan on using that sauce and seeing how that works.  Another substitution is green enchilada sauce instead of the red.

Something else that was recommended (and Jesse suggested which I had forgotten) was to use about 1 to 1-1/2 tbsp of a southwestern or taco seasoning on the chicken.

Overall, the recipe was good (even Jesse liked it), but it definitely needed the sour cream according to Jesse.  This is definitely one I’m going to try again.

Ingredients
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
4 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 medium onion (about 2/3 cup chopped)
2 cans (10 oz) enchilada sauce
12 (6-in.) corn tortillas
3 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
Additional chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Place cream cheese in Classic Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add cilantro and 1-1/2 cups of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well using scraper. Chop onion using Food Chopper; set aside. Spread 2/3 cup of the enchilada sauce over bottom of Deep Covered Baker. Pour remaining enchilada sauce into Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl; set aside.
2. To assemble lasagna, using Saute Tongs, dip four tortillas into enchilada sauce in mixing bowl and arrange over sauce in baker overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas using Small Scoop; spread using Small Spreader. Top with 1 cup of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro. Cut into squares using Utility Knife; serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 390, Total Fat 22g, Saturated Fat 10g, Cholesterol 105mg, Carbohydrate 25g, Protein 26g, Sodium 710mg, Fiber 2g

Cook’s Tips: This recipe can be assembled up to one night in advance. Prepare through Step 2; cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, let baker stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 21-23 minutes or until hot. Proceed as recipe directs.

Spicy enchilada sauce can be used for more kick.

Variation: Sour Cream Sauce: 16oz sour cream, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 4oz can green chilies, 8oz can green salsa verde sauce. Mix together & use this instead of red enchilada sauce.