Marissa’s zucchini enchiladas

by Linda Hopkins

Marissa made this for dinner the other night and I love it! She made the recipe her own and found the original on a site called Gimme Some Oven. Marissa left out the corn, but when I make it, I plan to add it, so I’ve included it here. One point of contention between the two of us was the salsa I purchased when I did the shopping at Trader Joe’s. She requested salsa verde. She didn’t know that Trader Joe’s has two styles of salsa verde, the original and Hatch Valley Salsa, which is my favorite. I knew full well that when she asked for the salsa verde, she meant the original, but I bought my favorite. She was not pleased. Too bad, it was delicious!

Zucchini Enchilada Casserole

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 jalapeño pepper, cored and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup whole-kernel corn
1 1/2 to 2 jars salsa verde, divided
2 large zucchini
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Possible Toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, diced red onion, sliced jalapeño peppers, sliced green onions, sour cream, and/or sliced avocado

Heat oil in a large sauté pan or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño and sauté for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Turn off the heat.

Add the cooked rice, cooked chicken, beans, corn, and 1 1/2 cups of the salsa verde to the pot and stir until evenly combined.

Use a vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini into thin strips, turning the zucchini as needed to avoid the center seed area. Lay on paper towels and press lightly with another paper towel to remove a bit of the excess moisture. Do not press hard or remove all of the moisture.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Place a layer of overlapping zucchini slices on the bottom of the baking dish so that it is completely covered.

Spread half of the chicken filling evenly over the zucchini, followed by 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Repeat with a layer of zucchini slices, chicken filling, and cheese. Finish with a final layer of zucchini slices, then drizzle 1/4 cup enchilada sauce atop the zucchini.