Enchilada Casserole and Latin Inspired Garden Salad (Gluten Free, Nut Free)

This has been a very busy weekend for our family. Our daughter turned four on Wednesday, so yesterday morning we entertained six toddlers at a bounce facility. Then, my parents were visiting this week, so we spent some quality time with them. Next, my hubby's sister and niece came to visit for our daughter's birthday. This meant that a family party was in order. Finally, today is Father's Day and a nice lunch is in order to both celebrate what a wonderful dad my hubby is and to send off our company with full bellies. 


Thankfully, a few weeks ago I made crock pot carnitas. The recipe made a huge batch of delicious shredded pork so I was able to served some really yummy tacos at the time and throw the rest into the freezer for another day and another inspiration. Today, I needed a quick approach to a healthy and delicious lunch. Fortunately, the carnita meat was ready and waiting.


Below is my recipe for turning the carnita meat into an enchilada casserole. I prefer the casserole approach to enchiladas, over the rolled variety, as the casserole method gets you the same result, but much faster with less muss, fuss and, frankly, because the corn tortillas are typically briefly fried in oil, fewer calories. 


I served the enchiladas with gluten free corn casserole and a Latin inspired garden salad. The result was a meal that was satisfying, in the way that only true comfort food can be, and featured a variety of flavors and textures. Let me know if you give it a try.


~Enjoy


Enchilada Casserole

• 4-5 cups crock pot carnita meat
• 8 white corn tortillas
• 1 small can mild enchilada sauce
• 1 16 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 8 oz bag shredded Mexican blend 2% cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x9 baking dish by spraying it with olive oil. Set aside. In a medium size bowl, combine tomato sauce and enchilada sauce, stirring to combine. Add appx. 1.5 cups enchilada tomato sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Place 4 corn tortillas in the bottom of the pan. The tortillas may overlap a bit in the middle and the deepest part of the corners will not be covered, but that's okay. Top the tortilla layer with the carnita meat being sure the meat covers the tortillas completely and in an even layer. Top the meat layer with half the cheese. Place the final four corn tortillas on top. Pour over the remainder of the enchilada sauce. 


Cover the pan with foil and place it in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes. The casserole is ready for the next step when the whole casserole is bubbly on top and steam rises from all parts (middle, corners and sides). Remove foil and add the remaining half of the cheese in an even layer on the top. Return the baking dish to the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted, but not darkened in color (this is important for low-fat cheese).


Remove casserole from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with salad and corn casserole.




Latin Inspired Garden Salad

• 1.5 head of romaine lettuce, washed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn nibs, thawed
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 large red onion
• 1 cup carrot slices
• 1 to 1.25 cups Frito scoops or your favorite corn chips
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup shredded 2% Mexican Cheese Blend
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp agave
• 1 cup olive oil
• pinch ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp dried parsley flakes, crushed in your hand 

Chop the lettuce into bite size pieces and place in the salad bowl. Add the corn, carrots and black beans. Slice the onion into thin strips and add those to the salad bowl. Using clean hands, toss the salad until the ingredients are well combined. Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the two halves. Cut each half into quarters and then chunks. Top with the shredded cheese. Place corn chips or tortilla chips on cutting board and, using the heel of your palm, crust the into large chunks. Top the salad with the corn chip chunks. Set salad aside while you make the dressing.

In a clean jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients to create the dressing. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously until the dressing emulsifies. Serve along side the salad.