Chicken Poblano Casserole

There are meals that are ideal for weeknights and also meals which are more labor intensive and only suited to weekends (in my humble opinion.) Usually I am drawn to recipes which come together quickly, but Cooking Light's Chicken Poblano Casserole naturally caught my eye because I love Mexican food and anything that comes in casserole form.  The first day of school was a minimum day so I knew I would have plenty of extra time in the kitchen, what better time to give this a try?

Chicken Poblano Casserole
Adapted from Cooking Light, September, 2006

Ingredients

3 poblano chiles (about 12 ounces)
1 large red bell pepper (about 8 ounces)
3 ears shucked corn
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk (I used skim)
3 cups (12 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided (I used cheddar)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
Cooking spray
18 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
3 3/4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Cut poblanos and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblanos and bell pepper, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Place corn on baking sheet. Broil 10 minutes or until poblanos and bell pepper are blackened and corn is lightly browned. Place poblanos and bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop; set poblanos and bell pepper aside separately. Remove corn kernels from cobs.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until slightly thick (about 12 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Combine 1 cup milk mixture and poblanos in a blender; process until smooth. Stir pureed poblano mixture into remaining milk mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine bell pepper, corn, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup Mexican cheese, red onion, cilantro, eggs, and ricotta.

Coat bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in bottom of dish. Arrange 6 tortillas over sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread half of ricotta mixture over tortillas; top with half of chicken. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup green onions and 2/3 cup Mexican cheese. Pour about 1 cup sauce over cheese. Repeat layers with 6 tortillas, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining chicken, 1/3 cup green onions, 2/3 cup Mexican cheese, 1 cup sauce, and 6 tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas. Coat 1 side of foil with cooking spray. Place foil, coated side down, over casserole. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup Mexican cheese and 1/3 cup green onions. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 15 minutes.

Nutritional Info Per Serving

Calories: 369
Calories from fat: 29%
Fat: 11.9g
Saturated fat: 6.1g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.9g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g
Protein: 33.1g
Carbohydrate: 33.8g
Fiber: 3.6g
Cholesterol: 98mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 594mg
Calcium: 536mg  

Preheat broiler.

Cut poblanos and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblanos and bell pepper, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Place corn on baking sheet. Broil 10 minutes or until poblanos and bell pepper are blackened and corn is lightly browned.

Place poblanos and bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes.

Peel and coarsely chop; set poblanos and bell pepper aside separately.

Remove corn kernels from cobs.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until slightly thick (about 12 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Combine 1 cup milk mixture and poblanos in a blender; process until smooth.

Stir pureed poblano mixture into remaining milk mixture.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine bell pepper, corn, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup Mexican cheese, red onion, cilantro, eggs, and ricotta.

Coat bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in bottom of dish. Arrange 6 tortillas over sauce, overlapping slightly.

Spread half of ricotta mixture over tortillas; top with half of chicken. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup green onions and 2/3 cup Mexican cheese. Pour about 1 cup sauce over cheese.

Repeat layers with 6 tortillas, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining chicken, 1/3 cup green onions, 2/3 cup Mexican cheese, 1 cup sauce, and 6 tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas.

Coat 1 side of foil with cooking spray. Place foil, coated side down, over casserole. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup Mexican cheese and 1/3 cup green onions. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 15 minutes.

Cooking Light's Chicken Poblano Casserole is pretty darn good...not out of this world...but pretty darn good.  It was similar to many of the other tortilla based casseroles that I have come across.  The roasted pablano sauce was really tasty but the final product needed a little more heat.  Fortunately we had some leftover spicy avocado sauce from a local Mexican market so we added a little to our portions.  I prepared this casserole a day before and then did the baking portion the night we ate it. I will try this again in the future and play with the ingredients a little.  Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to create this dish, it is not a dinner for weeknights!

-Heather