Best Mole Verde Chicken Spinach Casserole Recipes

MOLE VERDE

Steps:

• Place the meat and bay leaf in a large casserole, and add just enough water to barely cover it. Turn heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes with the lid on. The water will start to reduce, and the meat will start browning on its rendered fat. The slow cooking process will produce a tender meat. If after this period of time your meat still looks though, keep cooking and add a little bit more water as needed.
• While the meat is cooking, place tomatillos in a saucepan*, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatillos are pale green and soft, about 6-8 minute.o
• Place the cooked and drained tomatillos in a blender with the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, Serrano peppers, garlic, onion, romaine lettuce leaves, Hoja Santa leaves, cilantro leaves, spices, and 1 cup of water or chicken broth. Process until you have a very smooth sauce. Depending on your blender, you may need to work in batches.
• By this time, the meat should be starting to brown in the casserole. Pour the sauce over the meat and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid the sauce from sticking to the bottom. Once the sauce starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently to allow all the flavors to be absorbed. Add the cubed vegetables and more water as needed.
• Keep slowly simmering until the vegetables are cooked, about 8 minutes. Serve warm with a nice portion of rice and corn tortillas to scoop up the mole sauce from the plate.

MOLE VERDE CHICKEN SPINACH CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place olive oil and mole paste in a medium saucepan, on medium heat. Gradually whisk in 1 cup stock until smooth, breaking up the mole paste. Stir constantly; sauce will thicken. Then whisk in remaining 1 cup stock.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• To the mole sauce in the pan, add shredded chicken, corn, canned chiles, salt, and minced habanero (careful not to get it on your fingers -- it burns!); stir to mix well and heat through.
• Meanwhile, lightly oil a 10x10 or 9x13 casserole pan. Cover bottom with a layer of corm tortillas (about 4. You can curve them up the sides of the dish if that fits better.) Sprinkle a light layer (1/3 c) of shredded cheese on top of the tortillas. Cover the cheese with about half the fresh spinach.
• Turn heat to low (on saucepan) and stir in yogurt. Mix until smooth, then remove from heat.
• Ladle half the mole-chicken mixture into the prepared casserole dish, on top of the spinach layer.
• Repeat the layer of 4 tortillas, 1/3 c shredded cheese, the rest of the fresh baby spinach, and the rest of the mole-chicken mixture.
• Top with 1/3 c shredded cheese.
• Bake covered for 15 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes. Allow to rest about 5 minutes out of the over before cutting.
• Serve with fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, lime wedges, and freshly ground black pepper.
• (FOR THE DAIRY-FREE OPTION: omit shredded cheese, or substutute a dairyless option. You may add extra corn and/or spinach. Use 6 oz dairy-free sour cream or cream cheese instead of yogurt. If making two casseroles (one dairy-free and one regular), split the mole-chicken mixture into two saucepans before adding 4 oz yogurt to one and 4 oz dairy-substitute to the other.).

SPINACH AND CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place chicken in a bowl and pour in enough Italian salad dressing to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator, 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Drain and discard marinade from chicken and season chicken with garlic powder and lemon pepper. Transfer seasoned chicken to a casserole dish. Layer spinach over chicken.
• Mix cream cheese, chives, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Slowly pour chicken broth into cream cheese mixture, stirring until mixture is smooth; pour over chicken and spinach. Cover casserole dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and top chicken mixture with mozzarella cheese; cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes.

CHICKEN MOLE CASSEROLE WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute 1 cup onion in oil until tender. Reduce heat to low. Add the garlic, salt, oregano and cumin; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in chili powder, spicy chocolate cinnamon sugar and flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Cook until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, about 35 minutes. , In a large bowl, combine chicken and 1/2 cup sauce. Spread 1/2 cup sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the tortillas, chicken mixture, remaining onion and olives; top with 1 cup sauce and 2 cups cheese. Repeat layers., Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray, saute chicken until no longer pink; set aside., In the same pan, saute onion and green pepper until crisp-tender. Add the spaghetti sauce, spinach, mushrooms and olives. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain pasta; add chicken and pasta to the pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and toss to coat., Transfer to a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.