This recipe intrigued me. It really is nothing like enchiladas except in the taste ~ and the taste is fantastic!
I found a couple of recipes for this dish and both were just a little different from the other but this particular recipe is the one I chose. I did add a can of black beans just because I like them. I did make my own enchilada sauce ~ recipe HERE!
The recipe used up the entire jar of sauce I made so I remade it the next day so I could add some when I reheated it so the casserole wouldn’t totally dry out. If you would prefer to use beef, I think it would work.
Chicken Enchilada Pasta Bake
1 lb penne pasta, cooked and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 whole red onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 (8 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with chilis
1 pkg taco seasoning or use your own taco mix ~ I used HOT
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
2 can red enchilada sauce ~ or use THIS RECIPE
2 cups shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
optional toppings like avocado, fresh, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, tortilla chips
etc.
Preheat oven to 350º.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the onions and peppers until soft. Add the chopped chicken, can of tomatoes, salt and pepper, black beans, and taco seasoning and heat through. Add in 1 cup of the enchilada sauce and 1 cup of the cheese and mix. Remove from heat and add in all the penne and mix thoroughly.
Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Spoon the pasta mixture over the top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and bake, covered, for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and remove cover. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese and return to oven, uncovered, to bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Top with your favorite toppings.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: Tasty Kitchen
Happy Cooking!