Salsa Verde Casserole

I love making Mexican style casseroles or lasagnas. All my favorite spicy flavors in one… and it includes cheese! I guess this idea originated from enchiladas, then turned into enchilada casserole, then turned into whatever combination of cheese, tortillas, onions, peppers, and spiciness available.
Salsa Verde Casserole Recipe inspired by Rachael Ray’s recipe
Makes 1, 9 x 13 casserole
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound chicken breast (I used thinly sliced cutlets)
• 1 1/2 cups store-bought salsa verde (I got mine from Trader Joe’s)
• 1, 15 oz. container low fat or fat free ricotta cheese
• 5 large whole wheat/whole grain tortillas, cut into wedges
• 1 red onion and 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 or 1.5 small packages of frozen spinach, thawed, and the liquid squeezed out (very important to squeeze out liquid).
• 2 cups shredded 2% Mexican cheese blend
• 1-2 jalapenos, diced
• 1 tsp. cumin, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to season chicken

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 F. Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp. oil to large saute pan, and cook onions on medium for about 10-15 minutes. While the onions are cooking, mix the ricotta with the salsa, and then mix in the spinach. To cook the chicken: heat up a grill pan or saute pan with 1 Tbsp. oil, and cook each cutlet about 5 minutes. Season with garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin. Add jalapenos to the onion mixture, and season. To assemble the casserole: add half of the ricotta mixture to the casserole dish, then one layer or tortillas, then chicken and onions and a small amount of small. Then, add a layer of tortillas, and repeat. Top with remaining cheese (use most of the cheese for the top). Bake about 15 minutes until top is golden. Cool 5 minutes before eating.

I was unsure about using ricotta in a dish like this, but it was perfect! It made it more creamy without adding even more high calorie ingredients. I was not a big fan of the chicken… I am very picky about my chicken and how it is cooked. So, for the vegetarians out there, I would recommend just using a can of black beans instead!