Cause I Am Nice Like That

Last night the temps dropped a little so I decided to hold off on grilling the steaks I bought the night before. About the only thing I had in the freezer that would thaw quickly was a pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs. I let them sit on the counter (Yes, I know I should not do that but I felt like living on the edge. ) When they were partially thawed I put a dutch oven filled about halfway with water and dumped them in it. They cooked until they were slightly tender, then I removed them form the liquid, chopped them coarsely and searched the fridge to decide exactly what I was going to do with them. I had some tortillas and originally had planned to make enchiladas one night this week, but I was feeling a little sorry for myself and did not want to have to make some altered version for me while TheHub got to eat he good stuff. So I did what any really sweet wife  would do__made him eat the same thing I could have.

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4 boneless skinless thighs, cooked  (reserve cooking liquid) and chopped (fairy small chop)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste (I used no salt because I had salted the water used to cook the chicken.)

Mix together in a bowl and set aside.

1 medium cauliflower chopped in florets
reserved chicken cooking liquid

Cook the cauliflower in the chicken broth until it is very tender. Drain the liquid and, in the same pot , use a potato masher to create mashed cauliflower. You do not have to have it completely smooth. If you don't mind using additional equipment you could use a food processor. I hate to get mine out for something I can do by hand, but that is just my lazy butt wanting to use the minimum number of dishes all the time.

To the cauliflower mush add
1/2 teaspoon chili powder.
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon coriander
hot pepper flakes or a couple of splashes of hot sauce to taste (optional, but not optional for us)
1/4 cup coconut flour (It absorbs a lot of the liquid in the dish)
2 eggs

Beat together until it is well blended and the cauli mix feels and looks almost like a slightly dry cornbread batter. Spoon into a greased 9x9 casserole dish and pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top it with the seasoned chicken.

Now add:
1 can enchilada sauce (I used a green sauce because I found one that had no added sugar. Any sauce will do, or you can knock yourself out and even make your own)
About a cup and a half of shredded cheese. (I had about 1/2 cup of monterey jack and 4 thin
 pepper jack slices so that is what I used. You can tell by the picture above, I made no attempt to grate or even cut the slices.)

Pour the sauce over the chicken, top with the cheese and pop it back in the oven until everything is hot, bubbling, and the cheese is all melted, gooey goodness. (About 15 more minutes)

If you are really hungry spoon it out onto your plates immediately. I wanted it to be cut into pieces so it would look a little prettier in the picture. I let it rest for 7 or 8 minutes before trying and the first serving fell apart anyway. I did have success with the 2nd one.

And the verdict? This stuff was delicious. You know you have scored when the non-keto one gets seconds. I think that I will make a couple of changes next time though.  When I serve it I will probably top it with a spoonful of salsa or at least diced tomatoes, a few pickled jalapeno slices and a dollop of sour cream.

This will be added to our "have once a month" rotation as long as cauliflower is relatively inexpensive (Thank you Aldi)

And the 2nd best thing? Leftovers for my lunch a couple of days. Woo hoo!