Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I love Mexican food, the spicier, the better, and would be happy eating tacos or burritos every week. Unfortunately, chips, tortillas, beans, corn and rice are all too heavy for me.

I wanted to come up with a dish that had the same wonderful flavors as chicken enchiladas, but without the starchy tortillas.

Each component had to be seasoned well and able to stand alone, so that when they were assembled in the casserole, the combination of flavors would be that much better.

The base of the casserole would be a version of Spanish rice, using riced cauliflower instead of regular rice. I started by cooking some peppers and onions in a bit of avocado oil.

Then I added garlic, tomato paste, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, along with frozen riced cauliflower.

After everything was cooked and the vegetables soft, I poured the rice mixture into my casserole dish. The next step was to take shredded chicken, and toss it with a spicy sauce. Using prepared rotisserie chicken saves time.

Looking at a popular brand of canned enchilada sauce, I realized it contained a few ingredients that I’d rather not use: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Shortening, Caramel Color, Red Color No. 40.

Instead, I used a small can of tomato sauce, and just added my own spices. Then I tossed the chicken with half the sauce.

I added the chicken to the casserole dish, then poured the rest of the sauce on top, followed by shredded cheese.

After baking for 30 minutes, it was ready to eat! My husband didn’t even know that it contained cauliflower.

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Servings:  4

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen riced cauliflower
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Spicy tomato sauce (see recipe below)
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 4 ounces shredded pepper- jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Directions:

Heat a large skillet, add the oil and saute the onions and peppers over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until softened.  Add the garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for about a minute, then add the frozen cauliflower rice, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine everything and cook for 5 minutes to thaw the cauliflower.  Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and let cook for another 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.

Spicy Tomato Sauce:

• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• Mix tomato sauce and spices together. 

To assemble:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spoon cauliflower rice mixture into a 9 x 9 inch square casserole dish.  In a separate bowl, toss the shredded chicken with half of the Spicy Tomato Sauce, and layer the chicken on top of the rice.  Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken.  Finally, sprinkle the cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with cilantro.

Notes:  You can assemble the casserole ahead of time, and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Using prepared rotisserie chicken from the grocery store saves time.  You can use any size casserole dish that you have handy:  square, round or rectangular.