Patricks Enchilada Casserole

(2 votes)
6 to 8 Trader Joes Hand Made Corn tortillas
1 bottle Trader Joes Enchilada Sauce
2 cans Trader Joes organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed.
4 cups Grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 cans Trader Joes sliced black olives
1/2 to 1 lb Trader Joes chicken tenders (or chicken cooked and sliced - I use Trader Joes roasting chickens).
For garnish: Trader Joes s sour cream, sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado, and fresh cilantro.

Instructions:

Using paper towel, oil the bottom and sides of a 13x9 casserole dish with grape seed oil.
In a heavy frying pan, fry the tortilla's in hot Trader Joes grape seed oil on each side until golden and almost crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside (that's the hardest part of the recipe).
Spread a little Enchilada sauce on the bottom of casserole to almost cover, then place tortillas over that to cover the bottom of the dish (tearing some to place in corners, etc.).
Next, layer pieces of chicken evenly over.
Next, sprinkle with pinto beans.
Next, sprinkle with 1 can olives
Next, cover with jack cheese.
Next, pour more sauce over.
Repeat the layers, ending with cheese.
Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes (you may want to cover with oiled foil for the first 30 minutes to keep cheese from getting too brown).

To serve: Pour a strip of sour cream down the center and decorate with sliced tomatoes, black olives, sliced avocado, and cilantro.

Serve with a salad.

NOTE: This is named "Patrick's" in dedication to our friend Patrick White, a former San Francisco police officer and Vietnam vet. Our church was taking meals to Pat and family for months when he was terminally ill with lung cancer. One day when I was to take a meal, I asked what he felt like eating and he said he was in the mood for Mexican. So, I scrounged around my fridge, pantry, and freezer, and came up with this recipe. It was a big hit and was asked for again and again until he passed away about a year ago actually.

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