It's that time of year when it's too hot for soup but cool enough that you want a warm, cozy dinner. To be honest this is my favorite time of year to sit on the back porch in the evenings. This meal is perfect to sit next to that fire pit and enjoy a relaxing meal. Green chili would be perfect right? Meh, it's still a little hot for that, even though I am major proponent of soup year round. Which is how I came up with this recipe: Green Chili Enchilada Casserole.
One of my favorite meals growing up was enchiladas. I ordered them at every Mexican restaurant I went to. Now if I did that, my body would hate me for days for all the grease and cheese I would consume, but I can dream, right? Just kidding, I wanted something just as comforting as those enchiladas, but not the bad feeling! Creamy, spicy and gooey just like I remember!
So here I give you green chili enchilada casserole. If you have made my chicken tetrazzini, this might sound familiar. Now how did I get from Italian to Mexican and still use a lot of the same ingredients? Stay with me and just trust me on this one!! All you need is some green chilis, a pepper that you enjoy the heat of (I chose poblano, but if you like it spicier feel free to go for it) and some pico and you won't believe the casserole you can make. If you use a poblano and mild green chili, it is manageable for the whole family. Not too spicy, but enough kick to taste it. It is also great leftover so save some for lunch the next day!
Green Chili Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Spaghetti squash
- 1 Chicken breast
- 1 can Green chilis
- 1 Poblano pepper diced
- 1 Jalapeño pepper diced
- 1 Carton cherry tomatoes diced
- 1 Red onion diced
- 2 Limes
- 1 handful Fresh cilantro
- 1 cup Coconut milk
- 1 cup Cashews
- 1 tablespoon Garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Taco seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Score spaghetti squash and place in the instant pot with 1 cup water for 15-25 minutes on high pressure depending on the size of the squash. If you don't have an instant pot, put the squash and microwave for 5 minutes at a time rotating every five minutes, and cook until fork-tender.
- Remove spaghetti squash and allow to cool before cutting. Then place chicken in the instant pot for 15 minutes in high pressure with the same cup of water. If you do not have an instant pot, again cook chicken how you prefer so you are able to dive or shred!
- Sauté onions and poblano pepper for about five minutes until onion is translucent.
- Once the chicken is done, shred it and combine in the pan with the onion, poblano, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning and cook until seasoning is dissolved.
- In a blender, combine green chilis, coconut milk, cashews, garlic powder, cumin, and the juice of one lime. Blend until smooth. If it is too thick, keep adding small amounts of water until it is a smooth consistency
- When spaghetti squash is cool enough to touch, cut along the equator, remove seeds and scrape out "meat" with a fork into a large mixing bowl.
- Combine chicken mix (with onion and poblano) with squash and green chili sauce and place it into a large oven-safe pan. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until it is bubbling and the top is golden brown.
- While this is in the oven combine diced cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, juice of the other lime, cilantro, and salt and pepper to make the pico!
- Serve and enjoy!!
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