Monday, October 17, 2011

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Oh... this ain't your Momma's old fashion tamale pie. (Although I do remember it fondly!) I made this on a Sunday afternoon, for dinners on a week that I knew was going to be busy. The individual pieces warmed up beautifully in the microwave – and dinner was ready in a flash!  It's  creamy, cheesy and so full flavored you would guess there were twice as many calories in it!

I slightly adjusted this recipe from the 2009 Cooking Light cookbook. The original recipe called for 2 cups of shredded chicken breast and ¼ cup egg substitute. I used 1 lb. of chicken tenders and 2 eggs instead. If you want to follow the original recipe – there is only 354 per serving. I don’t think these alterations increased the calories that much… maybe about 390 calories.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenders
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

1 cup pre-shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 – 14 ¾ oz can creamed corn
1 – 8.5 oz package corn muffin mix, I used Jiffy
1 – 4oz can chopped green chilies, drained

1 can of red enchilada sauce, not the biggest can – the normal size – about 12 – 14 oz
Cooking spray
Fat Free Sour Cream for garnish

Directions:

Preheat a non-stick skillet; drizzle olive oil in it. Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Cook tenders for about 3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and allow to cool. Shred with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400. Combine ¼ cup of cheese with next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; mix until just moist. Pour mixture into 9” x 13” baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with shredded chicken; sprinkle with remaining ¾ cup cheese. Bake at 400 for an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from oven; let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces, top with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

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