Enchildas Casserole...with cooking chicken tip

If you are like me, you've lived in fear of under cooking chicken and watching your family die of salmonella, giardia, avian flu, the plague, or whatever one gets when eating bad, raw chicken. This results in either too much butter or marinade so it's unhealthy and no longer tastes like chiekn, or, chewy, nasty dry chicken. I'd almost sworn off chicken. At least fish and beef you can undercook and not be scared. In fact, both I prefer with as little cooking as possible.

But, thank goodness for Martha Stewart. Say what you will, I have learned a ton of tricks and this might be the best so far.

You may never cook chicken any other way - be prepared.

For this recipe you will need 3 whole chicken breasts. I do skinless boneless, but you are going to shred it after cooking, so it doesn't matter. Cut them in half, get a big sheet (up to 16 by 20 inches ) of aluminum foil and parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, wax paper will do just fine. Whatever you do, do not use foil alone.

Lay the parchment on top of the foil and place in your chicken. Drizzle with olive oil, you don't need a lot, and salt and pepper. Don't be shy.

Now, fold the parchment like an envelope, and bring the foil up around it. Seal the edges. You are creating a pocket that keeps in all the juice and keeps things moist. So make sure the sides of both layers come up to make sure juice isn't leaking out.

Oven at 415 (hot!) for 65 minutes. Place your chicken envelope on any kind of baking sheet or pan.

Be careful when opening- have a measuring cup ready so you can pour out all the juice, you will need this for your enchiladas sauce.

Shred chicken up as small as you like, I like to keep it a little chunky.

You will need a 9x13 pan, if you have slightly larger, great, then you won't have to waste.

Ingredients:

Chicken from above steps (makes 2-3 cups)

20-24 oz black or kidney beans, or combo

3/4 lb button mushrooms washed and sliced (don't go nuts rinsing them, they absorb the water like sponges, it's better to just wipe the dirt off)

1 small can black olives. If your kids won't eat the above two ingredients, feel free to omit. Or just put on your side.

6 tortillas. I am a health nut so I get whole wheat ones from trader joes. Do what makes you feel good. Cut tortillas into 3/4 inch strips.

As much shredded cheddar or monterey jack as you want. You could probably go nuts and use 3/4 lb here. I won't judge you.

14 oz canned enchiladas sauce. You can make it from scratch if you're that kind of gal. With kids, I am not.

1 cup cooked rice

Directions:

You can basically layer this how you like. Mix your chicken reserved juice with the enchiladas sauce. This is how I did it:

Sauce on bottom
Tortilla strips
Chicken
Rice sprinkled (you don't have a lot, so don't go crazy here. The rice mostly will absorb the excess sauce.)
beans
mushrooms
cheese
olives

repeat. I only did two layers, you might do three.

Top with cheese. Cilantro if you dig it. Sour cream if you want.

It is a husband and child pleaser. (granted, I do not have picky kids.)

Enjoy!