Sneaky Green Enchilada Casserole

Isn’t it nice when you work hard to make a good dinner, knowing that you may be the only one who eats it, and then to your surprise the whole family likes it?  This one was definitely a crowd pleaser, and it’s full of healthy veggies, beans, and turkey!  It’s already gluten free, but you can also easily make it dairy free, vegetarian, or vegan.  My favorite corn tortillas are the ones from Trader Joe’s.  They only cost 99 cents per package, and the ingredients are simply corn, lime, salt, and water.  I also like their tomatillo salsa!  The amounts I give here are approximate.  Feel free to add more veggies, or substitute mushrooms for the meat.  Here’s the recipe (my mom and I developed this one together…she has good ideas!):

8 Corn Tortillas

1 12 Oz Container Salsa Verde

1.5 to 2 Cups Organic Chicken Broth

3 Tbsp White Bean Flour (may substitute another thickener)

1 Lb Cooked Turkey or Chicken Meat

1 Small Onion, Diced

3 Garlic Cloves, Diced

1 Cup Shredded Purple or Red Potatoes (skin on)

1 Cup Shredded Carrots

1 Cup Shredded Zucchini

2 Cans Organic Black Beans

1 Can Black Olives, Drained

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1-2 Cups Shredded Cheese (optional)

Combine 1.5 cups of chicken broth and flour in a large pan.  Bring it to a boil over medium heat, and add the salsa.  If the mixture is too thick add more liquid.  If it’s too loose add more flour (bean flour actually mixes in pretty well, even if the liquid is already hot).  Add the onions, garlic, potatoes, salt, and pepper, and boil until the veggies are soft.  I like to add the other veggies at the end, so that they maintain their texture a bit.  If you want to hide them from your picky eaters, though, you may want to add them now (that’s what makes this sneaky).  Rinse and drain the black beans and stir them, along with the olives, into the mixture.  Here’s what it will look like at this point, although yours may be more green if you don’t use the purple potatoes!

The next step is to start layering the flavors into your 13×9 baking dish.  Spread about a fifth of the mixture onto the bottom of the dish and top it with some meat.  Sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top of that.  Spread another layer of the sauce mixture on top of the cheese.  Place 4 tortillas (you’ll have to break them up a bit) on top of that.  Now repeat those layers.  Spread the last fifth of the sauce mixture on top of your second layer of tortillas and top with a little more cheese.  This dish does not need a lot of cheese to make it tasty!  Try to think of the cheese as a garnish.  Here’s a picture of our casseroles ready to go into the oven (I made one with cheese, and one without for Emily):

Bake at 375 degrees for about half an hour.  The sauces should be boiling and the top a little brown when the casserole is done.  Serve with avocado and baked blue corn chips.  This made enough to feed my family of 6 for 2 dinners (plus I’ll have some for lunch tomorrow).  It’s easy, inexpensive, healthy, and yummy.  Enjoy!