Here is the original recpe: Chicken Enchilada Bake By the Country Cook
The old saying, haste makes waste came into play. I actually didn't read "10 ounches mild green chili enchilada sauce." Nope. Read "10 ounces of mild green chilies." I bought 8 ounces because I didn't want to buy 3 cans and when I came home with the taco seasoning and the chilies, then, and only then, I realized (with a few expletives) that I should have bought 10 oz. mild green chili enchilada sauce.
I wasn't going back to the store, so I decided to wing it and make my own. My neighbor had recently given me some hot red peppers that came with her weekly produce (one of those co-op deals), and I needed to do something with them. Soooo....
Sauteed 1/3 onion and one small seeded red pepper (removed the pith, too, as that sucker was HOT!). Once the veggies softened I added a clove of chopped garlic, the 2 cans of mild green chilies, and a little chicken broth. Salt and pepper. I sampled a bit, and it tasted wonderful-spicy, but not too spicy. Added the taco seasoning and the chicken and the soup and the cheese (I always have a bag of shredded Mexican cheese in the fridge) and mixed it all up.
I mixed the Bisquick with water and dumped it in the casserole. I could tell it was going to be hard to spread, so I got out my offset spreader and sprayed it with PAM and made short work of spreading the base.
The Food Network has provdided good hints over the years, and the offset spreader (great for frosting) and spraying Pam or its equivalent on any tool or measuring cup likely to become sticky are cool things to know about.
Sprinkled the rest of the cheese on top and baked the casserole. This was GOOD, moderately spicey and it provided two dinners and a main course lunch for the two of us.
I try to keep chicken pieces in the freezer as well as having the soup on hand and always Bisquick. Bisquick can save your life. The dish was not keep-a-box-of-kleenex-on-the-table spicy. You get the picture. If I made it again in the summer when the herb garden was in full flower, I'd sprinkle a bit of cilantro or chives on the casserole for color. The little bits of red pepper did look nice on the inside.
Once the weather gets cool again, I'm making a pot of chicken and dumplings. Right now, New England has been in the 70's and there's no call for hearty fare yet.
Happy Cooking!
The Cheeseparer
