Santa Fe Casserole

Lentils and chicken make a delicious protein packed pairing in this southwest recipe.

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups lentils, dry

3 cups vegetable broth, low sodium

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 large bell (sweet) peppers, diced

2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes, low sodium or no added salt

2 cups corn frozen, thawed

1/2 cup colby and monterey jack cheese, low fat

1 large jalapeño pepper, deseeded and diced

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 cup cilantro fresh, chopped

2 medium skinnless chicken breasts, diced or 2 Gardein Chick’n Scallopini

salt to taste

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

 

In a pot, add lentils, water and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender - about 25-30 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, spray cooking oil in a large skillet and cook diced chicken for 5 minutes, draining any liquid if necessary. Add cumin, black and cayenne pepper and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a large bowl and let sit.

 

Spray skillet with cooking oil again and place on
medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

 

Add vegetable sauté and cooked lentils to the chicken bowl. Add diced tomatoes, corn, jalapeño peppers, garlic powder, and cilantro. Fold gently with a spatula until combined.

 

Transfer mixture to 9x13” baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for 50 minutes. After removing casserole from oven, cover with foil and let stand at least half hour before serving.

 

Makes 1–9x13” baking dish • Serving size = 1/8th of dish

242 calories • 4g fat • 530mg sodium • 36g carbs
8g fiber • 18g protein