Enchilada Pie
Life is hectic. Whew! Time is flying by, and it feels like days are turning into hours, and weeks into days. Anyone else feel like that? Maybe I feel like this because its summer time and the sun feels so good. Where as the winter chill really reminds me how long the days can be…. Either way, I can’t believe its almost July. We are half way through 2021…. like WHAT! As the days go by I find myself scrambling to make dinner some nights, I’m sure you understand this as well. That is why I love prepping my chicken in a crockpot. It literally cuts dinner time in half. You may think crockpot chicken is boring, but I’m going to keep showing you why its 1- worth it and 2- how delicious it really is with this super simple Enchilada Pie The other day I wanted something yummy and hearty… you know that feeling? BUT it was already 5 o’clock and I didn’t want something that would be a lot of work or take too long. I had a pie crust in the freezer and thought of something like a chicken pot pie. I didn’t have all the ingredients for that, but I did have everything to make enchiladas. So I thought about making enchiladas into a pie. 🙂 It was delicious. Between the buttery pie crust and the crispy cheese on top– THIS DISH IS A WINNER. It has a layer of refried beans which is a great source of fiber. If you don’t like refried beans, go ahead and use black or pinto beans. Next you add a layer of shredded chicken that has been cooked with a diced red pepper, enchilada sauce, diced green chilis, and cream cheese. Top it with plenty of shredded cheese for the perfect hearty dinner, that is delicious and balanced with all the macronutrients.
Ingredients to Make Enchilada Pie: 1 deep dish pie crust 1 red pepper- diced 12 oz shredded chicken 18 oz enchilada sauce 4 oz diced green chilis 1/4 cup milk 8 oz cream cheese 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 8 oz refried beans OR Black/pinto beans 2 cups low fat shredded cheese- Mexican blend How to Make Enchilada Pie: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the pie crust in a skillet or pie crust pan. Once the oven has preheated, cook the pie crust for 20 minutes. Next heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray, then cook the red pepper until tender (about 5-7 minutes). Add the shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, green chilis, and cream cheese. Once the cream cheese has melted completely, add the 1/4 cup of milk and seasonings. Stir to combine the ingredients, then remove from heat. Remove the pie crust from the oven, once it has cooked for 20 minutes. Next add the beans to the pie crust, spread the beans evenly but gently to cover the bottom of the pie crust. Next top with the shredded chicken mixture. Spread the mixture out evenly over the beans. Top with the shredded cheese, then bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy with sliced avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.