Creamy Corn Enchilada Casserole

So we had plans to go out to eat with some friends, but work schedules didn't pan out so I realized at 3:00 p.m. that I didn't really have anything planned for supper. My husband had a looooong day at work, so I wanted to have something we could just sit down, relax, and enjoy. So....TAHDAH!!! A quick-cooking, easy meal that really doesn't take too much prep time. Right up my alley...

Adapted from Stephanie O'Dea's Creamy Corn and Spinach Enchiladas

I made several changes to the original:
I am apparently allergic to spinach (can't win for losing, I know...) and I made this into a casserole because if you cook corn tortillas in a crock pot with any amount of moisture for long, things tend to fall apart. I am totally okay with eating a bowl full of mess, so I conquered this one by cutting to the chase and making a casserole rather than rolling enchiladas.

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

- 1 can creamed corn (check labels as always, but I use Green Giant)
- 1 cup already cooked meat (I have made this with ground beef and chicken, but when I made this today, all I had in the house was ground turkey! ACK! Don't worry...it turned out perfectly! So much so, that I'll likely make it with the t-bird on purpose next time)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 TBL chopped jalapeno
- 4 TBL Rotel (I had some extra from making a side of cheese dip so thought "why not?!")
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Sauce:
YOU WILL HAVE EXTRA SAUCE. DO NOT use all of it, or we'll have a runny, mucky mess on our hands. And who wants a runny, mucky mess?!

- 1 can enchilada sauce (original recipe calls for green enchilada sauce but this is my warning - READ LABELS! After 10 minutes of standing in the aisle at HEB, I realized that none (of the 6 brands of green sauce) were GF. I know you can find it at some specialty stores, etc., but I'll tell you that the red sauce works just great!! Am pretty sure I wouldn't make it with green sauce now even if I could easily find it...ya know...just to spite it! *sticks tongue out*)
- 2/3 cup sour cream

- Corn tortillas
- more cheese (everything is better with cheese on it...so we're gonna put some cheese on it!)

DIRECTIONS: I use a 4 qt. crockpot, so number of tortillas and number of layers can be adjusted if using larger pot

Cook or brown your meat (depending on what you decide to use). I did this while I got everything else together! That's right...that's for all you multi-taskers out there)
I cooked the ground turkey with 1/2 onion and some Lawry's seasoned salt.



In large bowl, combine meat, creamed corn, cilantro, jalapeno, Rotel, and cheese.



Does it look a little nasty? Perhaps...but the taste later makes up for it. Promise.

In another mixing bowl, combine enchilada sauce and sour cream.



Spray bottom of crock pot.
Lay two corn tortillas on bottom of pot.
Spread 1/3 of filling mix over tortillas.
Sprinkle a layer of shredded cheese on top.
Using a spoon, drizzle approximately 1/2 cup of sauce across the top of the layer.



REPEAT until filling mix is gone.

Just for kicks (and because we're cheese fanatics) I add an extra sprinkling of cheese on top of the final layer (or, on the final layer, put the sauce down on top of the filling before adding the cheese).

Cover and cook on high 2-4 hours (I called my time at 3 hours), or on low for 5-7. According to Stephanie, she cooked hers for 8 and it got way too mushy. I'd shoot for the minimum time (for both high and low settings). Since all the ingredients in this meal are pre-cooked, you're really just waiting for the corn tortillas to soften a bit and for all the flavors to mesh.

I serve mine with a handful of tortilla chips crunched up on top - never hurts to have a little crunch, right?! I figure since you have to chew the chips more than you would if it were just the casserole, you're really just burning more calories :-)



It's okay...I know you noticed. Yes, I already started eating (this happens when you get excited) and forgot to take a picture. So...clearly the pictures don't do it justice. Would it help if I hadn't included the pictures? Either way...

Turns out, this is a great dish. We both cleaned our plates...twice.