Chicken & Swiss Chard Enchilada Casserole

I don't typically think of using my greens in Mexican style dishes. I tried this out last week; naturally with my own adaptations. We like Swiss chard, but I think it might be a dish that even people who were not overly fond of the green might be OK with.

1 pound Swiss chard, rinsed well and drained (less is OK--I used 2 bunches)
2 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large whole chicken breast, about 1 1/2 pounds, cooked, boned and shredded, about 1 1/4 cups meat
12-7 inch corn tortillas
3 cups Mexican style tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack, about 6 ounces (I used Calico cheese from Fair Oaks Farms that I found at the Westside Farmers Market in Madison--its mild and melts very well)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cut the stems from the Swiss chard leaves and chop them and the leaves separately. In a large skillet cook the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is fragrant, stir in the Swiss chard stems and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Chop the leaves. The easiest way to do this is in a food processor. Just pulse a few times until they are chopped the way you want them. Add the leaves and cook the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the leaves are tender. Toss the Swiss chard with the shredded chicken and salt and pepper to taste.
I had a cut-up chicken from Jenehr that I cooked in a crock pot and then used in several different dishes. This being one of them. I used more than 1 1/4 cups of chicken. Plus it does not need to be strictly chicken breast.
Saute the tortillas in a pan that you have sprayed with pan spray, about 3 at a time.
I made the Mexican sauce out of tomato puree from Jenehr and just added some chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. You could also use purchased enchilada sauce. Spoon about 1/3 cup of it into the bottom of a greased 13 by 9 inch baking dish and arrange 4 of the tortillas in one layer over it. Spread the tortillas with half the chicken mixture and half the cheese, spoon about 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce over the mixture and cover it with 4 of the remaining tortillas in one layer. Spread the tortillas with the remaining chicken mixture and the remaining cheese, top the mixture with 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce and cover it with the remaining 4 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the tortillas and sprinkle it with the Parmesan. Bake the enchiladas, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 350F oven for 15 -20 minutes, remove the foil, bake the enchiladas, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the cheese is bubbling.

This dish also reheats well if you happen to have leftovers.

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