Chicken Enchilada Casserole Steam Baked

Anytime you are making a recipe that requires shredded chicken you have the option of either steaming or steam roasting some chicken pieces in your Steam Oven for tender juicy chicken with the added bonus of flavorful juices. There are a lot of ingredients in this crowd pleasing casserole but it assembles very quickly; allow at least 40 minutes for it to bake in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

Steam Roasted Chicken:

4 - bone in chicken thighs or two bone in chicken breasts

½ - teaspoon ground cumin

¼ - teaspoon granulated garlic

¼ - teaspoon Kosher salt

1 - tablespoon vegetable oil

Casserole Ingredients:

2 - tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 - medium yellow onion, finely chopped

3 - cloves garlic, minced

1 - yellow or red pepper, seeded and diced

1 - 4.5 oz can green chilis

1 - 15oz can corn OR

2 - cups frozen corn, defrosted

1 - 24 oz can black beans or your preferred beans

1 - 24 oz can enchilada sauce

18 - corn tortillas, cut in half

2 - cups shredded Cheddar mixed with

2 - cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

PREPARATION

Heat the oven in the Convection Mode to 425 degrees.

Combine the seasoning and oil and rub over the chicken, place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, then change the Mode to Convection Steam 350 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool, skim the fat from the pan juices and add to the casserole, then shred or slice the chicken and stir into the casserole.

Steamed Chicken Option

Assemble the  ingredients as noted above except the oil.

Heat the oven in the Steam Mode 212 degrees.

Place all the ingredients in an oven casserole with ½ cup of water and steam for 35 - 45 minutes until the meat comes easily away from the bone.

Set the chicken on a plate to cool before shredding.

Reserve the liquid, add a little to the casserole and reserve any extra for cooking.

Preparation:

Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over moderate heat.

Add the oil and increase the temperature to medium high, add the onion and sauté for a few minutes to soften, then stir in the garlic and cook for a minute.

Add the pepper, chilis, corn and beans, stir well to combine then add all but ½ cup of the enchilada sauce and stir in the cooked chicken.

Spread ¼ cup of the reserved enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13 oven casserole dish and arrange ⅓ of the tortillas over the sauce.

Spoon ½ of the chicken and bean mixture over the tortillas and top with half of the cheese.

Layer in another ⅓ of the tortillas and  spoon the remainder of the chicken and bean mixture over the tortillas and ½ of the remaining cheese.

Top with the rest of the tortillas, spread the remaining reserved enchilada sauce over the tortillas and top with the remaining cheese.

When baking this casserole in the Steam Oven there is no need to cover it.

Heat the oven in the Convection Steam Mode 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Change the Mode to Convection and increase the temperature to 400 degrees and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.

Be sure to let the casserole stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8 - 10