Roasted Vegetable & Chicken Stacked Enchiladas {Naptime Everyday}
Earlier this month on Facebook I asked what you would like to see on The Naptime Chef this fall. I am so grateful that all of you wrote back with the most terrific answers! There were requests for everything from more chicken and vegetable oriented slow-cooker meals, family breakfast food and kids snacks, to toddler finger food, entertaining ideas, and easy Mexican dishes. I promise I am going to do my best to fulfill all of your needs this fall and, given my current obsession with all things spicy, today I am starting with this simple family-friendly make-ahead meal.
The advanced preparation part of this meal, should you elect to do it, is fairly straightforward. Roast a giant sheet of vegetables while you do other things around the house. That’s it. You can also, if you wish, cook the chicken in a saute pan and save it in the fridge until assembly time. In this case I just used the leftover roast chicken from the night before, but do whatever works best for you.
When I made these the other night I had rushed in from a hectic afternoon of school activities and errands. After throwing down our bags I assembled the enchilada stacks lickety-split and dinner was out of the oven in under an hour. To serve I paired it with our favorite avocado yogurt dipping sauce and a side of green rice. The cooling sauce and rice were the perfect counterpoint for sweet heat of the pimenton. Though, honestly, I can’t say I minded it.
Recipe
Roasted Vegetable & Chicken Stacked Enchiladas
Ingredients
| 1 | zucchini, chopped into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 | yellow squash, chopped into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 | eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 | yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 1 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| 2 | chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small pieces. (about 2 cups worth) |
| 20 | ounces red enchilada sauce |
| ½ | teaspoon hot pimenton (or, if you don’t have that, chili powder) |
| 1 | jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped (optional) |
| 10 | ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely shredded |
| 10 | small corn tortillas |
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 475F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chopped vegetables in one even layer. Drizzle the olive oil over them and roll them around so they all have a light coating of oil. Sprinkle the salt on top. Roast the vegetable for about 45 minutes, or until they have shrunk and are lightly browned. Be sure to turn them with a long handled wooden spoon once or twice when they are cooking. Once they are done roasting reduce the oven heat to 350F.
2. Meanwhile, if you are using fresh chicken cut it into 2-inch strips about ½-inch wide. Add about 2 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce to a saute pan and warm over medium heat. Then add the chicken pieces and cook them until completely cooked through – about 5 minutes at the most. Remove from the chicken from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
3. In a large bowl toss the roasted vegetables with the chopped jalapeno and the pimenton. Then begin to assemble the enchiladas.
4. Wipe the inside of a 9×13 baking dish with a thin layer of cooking oil. Then pour a small amount of the enchilada sauce on the bottom. It should be just enough to coat the bottom of the dish. Then place three corn tortillas overlapping on the bottom. Pour another thin layer of enchilada sauce on the tortillas. Then add one-third of the shredded cheese, one-half of the roasted vegetables, and one-half of the cooked chicken in one even layer. Repeat this with the second layer. Finally, top the vegetables with three enchiladas. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the casserole and top with the remaining third of cheese. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbling. Serve.
Naptime Notes
Naptime Recipe Serving ideas
To make this vegetarian simply omit the chicken and add in any desired protein (beans, seitan, tofu) or simply keep it chock full of healthy vegetables! More vegetable ideas are butternut squash, corn off the cob, and wilted spinach.
Naptime Stopwatch
30 minutes prep time, 30 minutes cook time (plus vegetable roasting time)
Naptime Reviews
This was a huge hit with my husband and I. For my daughter I wrapped up the veggies and chicken and made her taquito-like bites!
This looks tasty! I’m inspired to try it with green sauce from the farm share tomatillos. I love the idea of roasting the veggies. Thanks!
Mmmm, this would be great with green sauce!