Smoky Chicken and Chorizo Mexican Enchilada Baked Casserole

Submitted by French Tart

"This recipe was made from leftovers and has been requested again ALREADY by Malcolm, my husband! Cooked chicken is mixed with smoky, hot chorizo sausage and folded through a chipotle chilli tomato sauce..........sounds too hot?! I then added some sweet corn, sour cream and a jar of mild salsa to calm it down a bit, but please DO use hot salsa if you like a little spice in your life! I topped this with a dollop of sour cream and dressed it with chopped jalapeno peppers, parsley and a little chopped coriander (cilantro) for a perfect cold weather lunch. I devised this recipe especially for the Two for One Leftovers event in the Cooking Photo's Forum. Please adjust the chilli powder to your own requirements. I like spicy food but Malcolm does not, so I topped mine with loads of chopped jalapeno peppers and a sprinkling of chipotle chilli powder!! NB: I used Spanish chorizo sausage, which is cured; if you are using fresh chorizo sausage, it needs to be browned beforehand.(I made this original recipe with leftovers from KissKiss's Recipe #368069. However, ANY cooked chicken will do for this!) NOTE on adding water to salsa: My salsa was VERY thick and adding the water made it much better when baked; if your salsa is a very runny one already, do not add the water!"

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Yields: 1 Enchilada Casserole
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 6 inches hot chorizo sausage, cut into chunks
• 2 cups mild salsa
• 1⁄2 cup water (optional)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried chipotle powder (more or less to personal taste)
• salt and pepper
• 15 ounces corn kernels, drained (600g)
• 1⁄4 cup pimento stuffed green olive, halved
• 1 cup sour cream (8 ozs)
• 6 flour tortillas, cut into strips (8-inch)
• 2 cups grated cheese, to taste
• sour cream, to serve
• chopped jalapeno pepper, to serve
• cilantro or parsley, chopped, to serve

directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 175C/350°F Grease an 8" square or an oval baking dish.
2. Mix the cooked chicken and chopped chorizo sausage together, and then set aside.
3. Empty the salsa into a large mixing bowl, add the water (if using), garlic powder, chipotle chilli powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
4. Pour 1/4 of the salsa mixture over the base of the greased baking dish and then layer 1/4 of the flour tortilla strips over the top. Scatter some of the chopped olives and sweet corn over and then add some of the chopped chicken and chorizo. Top with more salsa and continue to layer in this pattern, until the last layer. For the last layer, spoon the sour cream over the top before finishing with the salsa mixture and then scatter the grated/shredded cheese over the top. (Can be frozen at this stage, cover and freeze for up to 2 months.).
5. Cover the casserole with aluminium foil and bake for 35 minutes; take the foil off and finish baking for 5 to 10 minutes longer or until the topping is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden.
6. Serve immediately with sour cream, jalapeño peppers and chopped cilantro or parsley. I find that a green salad is the perfect accompaniment to this, but rice would also be good.
7. To cook from the freezer: Thaw the casserole in the fridge for 24 hours before removing for 30 minutes, before baking as instructed before.

Reviews

[SarasotaCook]

A great recipe ... used the Mexican chorizo and everything according to the recipe. It turned out perfect. And for those who mentioned soggy tortillas. Please be sure to read the intro which stated that her salsa was very thick. My salsa was average and I did not use the water and it turned out wonderful. I forgot to review this before but I'm making it again this week for a Lady I cook for and I know she will love it. She loves Mexican food. I served it with a small green salad tossed with black beans, cilantro, cucumber, and a light lime vinaigrette.<br/><br/>It is a wonderful dish. I also added some diced avocado just as a side, it could be a garnish or just a nice side. Very simple.<br/>Excellent

 

[affytapple]

When I made this I bought all of the ingredients from my local mexican produce store..It was the best idea ever!!!! Usually when I make casseroles there are leftovers but with this there was nothing left. I bought the chorizo in sausage form but took it out of its casing. I really think that by doing this it added so much extra flavor to the meat.

 

[montchefvic]

Had some left over smoked chicken from the previous evening and was looking for a fun twist to use it again. This was a fantastic recipe and both my 23 year old son and my husband thought it was FANTASTIC!!! as did I!! thanks for the recipe

 

[sisterchic]

I too altered the recipe slightly by using ground Chorizo, omitting the water, and using corn tortillas in place of the flour ones. It has become a family favorite of ours. Thanks French Tart for the recipe.

 

[CabinKat]

We altered this recipe very slightly by using ground Chorizo instead of links & did not use the water. That was the only change. My BH loved it, I personally feel that it would have been better if the chicken was grilled, then shredded and then sauteed in the spices for a bit to enhance the flavors. We used a salad of shredded lettuce with the guacamole', sour cream, a little extra cold salsa on the side and it added to the casserole.