Chicken Enchilada Casserole

When I lived with the Dowdle family, I sometimes took meals with them. I remember Linda being a good cook, though I have few specific memories of foods she made. There was the Portuguese sweet bread she turned out for Christmas gifts, the gloppy oatmeal served every morning to the kids, and this casserole. Linda may not have been able to make tacos like my mom (who could????) but she did often whip this Mexicany casserole out for her family - and for me.

As I think back over that period of my life, it kind of amazes me that cooking wasn't part of my job while living with the Dowdles. Was Linda aware of my complete lack of interest? I babysat a lot for this family, cleaned their home, babysat more...but never got into the kitchen to learn cooking from an older, more experienced cook. While I missed the opportunity to figure out how to put a meal on the table, I did, at least, write down this recipe. And then didn't make it until tonight.

Surprisingly, Martin liked this dish, though he thought the tortilla texture was potatoes. For me, putting it together and then tasting what I'd created brought back long ago memories of the sweet family that opened their hearts and home to me.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Recipe Courtesy of Linda Dowdle circa 1970's

(Note: I halved all these ingredients and baked it in a 8X8 pan.)

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 28 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 - 1/4 cups sour cream (I'm not a sour cream lover so I went a bit sparse on this.)
9 corn tortillas, cut into pieces
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
(This is one of those recipes where you could add a lot of extras - olives, green chilis, etc)


Directions:
In a greased 9x13 backing dish layer half of the chicken, enchilada sauce, sour cream, tortillas, and cheese. Repeat layers.

Cover and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Uncover: bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.