Enchiladas hold a special place in many hearts, often being a go-to meal. This keto green chicken enchilada casserole captures the essence of traditional enchiladas while offering a low-carb, customizable, and easy-to-make alternative. It's perfect for a weeknight dinner and can be adapted to suit various dietary needs and preferences.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe simplifies the traditional enchilada-making process by layering the ingredients instead of individually rolling each enchilada. This method significantly reduces preparation time without sacrificing flavor. The use of flatbread in place of tortillas makes it low carb and keto-friendly.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken: Pre-cooked shredded chicken simplifies the process, but you can also bake chicken breasts, use an Instant Pot, or opt for rotisserie chicken. Ground chicken can also be used.
- Enchilada Sauce: Green enchilada sauce is recommended, but red sauce can also be used. Salsa verde is generally a good substitute for green enchilada sauce. When choosing a sauce, check ingredient labels and carb counts, especially if following a keto diet.
- Cheese: The recipe calls for jack cheese, cheddar cheese, and pepper jack cheese. For best results, shred your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded, as pre-shredded cheese contains stabilizers that can affect melting.
- Tortillas: Flatbreads are used to keep the recipe low carb. For a traditional approach, study corn tortillas can be used in place of the flour tortillas.
- Vegetables: This casserole is a great way to use extra vegetables. Diced onion, zucchini, and minced garlic are sautéed and added to the filling. Other options include chopped jalapeno or green chiles and diced tomato.
- Dairy: Greek yogurt and creme fraiche add creaminess. Creme fraiche is a mix between cream cheese and sour cream. Sour cream can be used in place of Greek yogurt.
Preparing the Chicken
If starting with uncooked chicken breasts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken breast on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Remove and chop or shred. Alternatively, use the instant pot to prepare chicken breast, or a rotisserie chicken (about 3 cups shredded chicken).
Preparing the Flatbread
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the flatbreads on the parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes until crispy. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into 1 inch squares.
Making the Enchilada Sauce
In a saucepan, heat the enchilada sauce over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the creme fraiche and let it "melt". Remove from heat. Alternatively, combine the salsa and sour cream in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Assembling the Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat the inside of a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Coat the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce.
- Place a layer of flatbread across the bottom of the dish.
- Pour on 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, then 1/3 of the chicken.
- Repeat for 2 more layers.
- Top with jack cheese.
Baking the Casserole
Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake about 10 minutes longer, until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Serving and Topping Suggestions
Top the casserole with cilantro, avocado, jalapeños, salsa, or any other Mexican-inspired toppings. Sprinkle the baked green chicken enchilada casserole with chopped jalapeno or green chiles and diced tomato.
Make the Filling
Add the sautéed veggies, shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, lime juice, 1 cup of enchilada sauce, 4 oz shredded pepper jack cheese, hatch chiles, ground cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover chicken enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Make sure to fully cool your leftover chicken enchiladas before storing them.
To reheat, it is best to reheat this enchilada casserole in the oven with a lid on. If refrigerated, bake at 350 F for 25 minutes, then serve. If frozen, bake for 40 minutes.
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To freeze unbaked enchiladas, cover with plastic wrap and then place a the lid or aluminum foil on the container.
Tips for the Perfect Casserole
- Cheese: For the best results, I highly recommend shredding your own cheese instead of buying a pre-shredded bag of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains stabilizers and don’t melt as nicely as blocks of cheese that are hand shredded.
- Sauce: Want your casserole a bit more saucy? Yes!
- Preparation: If you like you can prepare this casserole up to a day in advance. Just assemble everything and then cover tightly with foil before placing in the fridge.
- Resting Time: Be sure to let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.
Variations
- Substitute salsa verde for the green enchilada sauce.
- Use pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese in place of the Mexican cheese blend.
- Substitute red enchilada sauce for the green sauce.
- Feel free to substitute with carnitas or even beef in place of chicken.
Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
Ingredients:
- Cooking spray
- Chicken breasts
- Flatbreads
- Enchilada sauce
- Creme fraiche
- Jack cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Olives
- Avocado oil
- Diced onion
- Diced zucchini
- Minced garlic
- Greek yogurt
- Lime juice
- Shredded pepper jack cheese
- Hatch chiles
- Ground cumin
- Crushed red pepper
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cilantro
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat the inside of a 10-inch ovenproof skillet or an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the baking dish; spray one side with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken breast on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Remove and chop or shred. Alternatively, use the instant pot to prepare chicken breast, or a rotisserie chicken (about 3 cups shredded chicken)
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the flatbreads on the parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes until crispy. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into 1 inch squares.
- While chicken and flatbreads are baking, make the enchilada sauce. In a saucepan, heat the enchilada sauce over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the creme fraiche and let it "melt". Remove from heat.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the avocado oil, diced onion, diced zucchini, and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté the garlic, onion, and zucchini in avocado oil until tender.
- Add the sautéed veggies, shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, lime juice, 1 cup of enchilada sauce, 4 oz shredded pepper jack cheese, hatch chiles, ground cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl.
- Assemble the casserole in a 9×13 baking dish. Coat the bottom of the dish with 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce. Then place a layer of flatbread in the dish (they will overlap some). Next, add approximately a heaping cup of the chicken filling and spread out with a spatula or the back of spoon. Then pour on 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce. Repeat for 2 more layers. Top with jack cheese and transfer to the oven.
- Set aside one-third each of the cheddar and jack cheeses. In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, remaining cheddar and jack cheeses, sour cream, and three-quarters of the salsa. Season with the salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining salsa, the reserved cheeses, and the sliced olives. Cover the dish with the aluminum foil, sprayed side down.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake about 10 minutes longer, until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- Top with cilantro, avocado, jalapeños, salsa, or any other Mexican-inspired toppings you love.
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