Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken, Green Chiles, Pinto Beans, and Cheese

By Lsweetnell

I would make this as a dip. (Six servings as a meal, 10-12 as a dip)

This recipe called for two cans of drained and washed pinto beans; however, I suggest 2 cans of refried beans because the dish will hold together better. Tip: If using refried beans add a cup of the Jack cheese to the refried beans, will make them creamer. If you wish this as a meal might suggest the canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed instead.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz.) Mild Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (If you need gluten-free be sure to choose a brand of green chile sauce that doesn't contain wheat. One is La Victoria.)
• 2 cans refried beans
• 1 large onion, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles plus juice (not jalapenos unless you want it really hot)
• 1-3 T Tabasco Sauce (Optional, but nice if you want it a bit hotter; we used two tablespoons.) You could use Texas Pete instead. Do not make too hot!
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 4 cups diced, cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 2 cups grated Monterrey Jack (Stir one cup of the cheese into the refried beans) (If using regular pinto beans omit cheese)
• 1 cup grated mild Cheddar Cheese
• Can serve with plain tostatos for dipping and scooping.

Details

Adapted from kalynskitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

Put the green chile enchilada sauce in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to one cup. While sauce simmers, mix one cup of Jack cheese into the two cans of refried beans.

Dice the onion and green bell pepper and slice the green onions. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy frying pan, add onion and green bell pepper and saute until they're softened and starting to barely brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground cumin and cook for another minute.
Mix in refried beans with a of the cheese already added to the beans.

As soon as the green chile enchilada sauce has reduced to 1 cup (about 10-15 minutes), place it in a bowl to cool and stir in the diced green chiles with juice. Taste the mixture to see if you want to add the optional Tabasco Sauce. When the mixture no longer feels hot (it can be warm), stir in the sour cream, diced chicken, and sliced green onions.

Spray a 9"x13" casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Spread half the refried bean mixture over the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of half the sauce/chicken mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup of grated Jack and Cheddar cheese over the sauce/chicken mixture. Repeat with another layer of refried beans, sauce/chicken mixture, and cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and nicely browned on top. Let stand about 10-15 minutes before cutting, then serve.

This freezes well, or will keep in the fridge in a covered container for several days. (I divided it up into single-serving portions and frozen some and put some in the fridge to eat.)