Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This dinner was one of the tastiest I've made in a long time. The sauce was left over from a Mexican pizza I made months ago (don't worry, it had been frozen) and the corn tortillas were in the fridge from the last time I made a similar slow cooker version of this meal. The chicken came pre-marinated from Trader Joe's.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 9 corn tortillas
• 1 (14 oz.) can enchilada sauce
• 1 (14 oz.) can refried beans
• 1/2 cup each: green onions, diced mushroom, and chopped cherry tomatoes (or whatever vegetables you have)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup shredded cheese (colby jack or cheddar)
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1 avacados, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add chicken. Cook through, about 4-5 minutes on each side. When done, remove from heat and dice.

While the chicken cooks, dice the vegetables and shred the cheese. In a medium bowl, combine the enchilada sauce and refried beans until smooth.

Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with non-stick oil. The casserole will set up just like a lasagna. Place a thin layer of the bean/enchilada sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish. Lay down a layer of corn tortilla (break them up, if needed), another thin layer of bean/sauce, a handful each of the vegetables and chicken; then a sprinkling of cilantro and cheddar cheese. Top with another layer of corn tortilla, bean/sauce, veggies/chicken, and cilantro/cheese.  Repeat, one more time, depending on space (and how large your handfuls were). Top the final layer with corn tortillas, bean/sauce, cheese, and black olives.

Cover with aluminum foil, bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

Serve with avacado, if desired.