I love enchiladas, but when I'm feeding a big crowd or need something easy one night, the enchilada casserole is one of my go-to meals. It also works well frozen in smaller portions for later meals. And I have cut down on the fat by not frying the tortillas and by using a lower fat cheese.

The recipe:

Green chile sauce (see the recipe I made several weeks ago)

12 corn tortillas (I used 9 the last time I made the casserole)

1 onion chopped into small pieces

1 pound of cheese (I've been using mozzarella because it has lower, fat but you also can use anything that melts well– my favorite is colby longhorn)

tomato and lettuce for garnish

I tend to like my enchiladas piled higher so I'll use a 9 x 13 pyrex (although in the photo I used the new Le Creuset dish we received as a wedding gift and holds heat very well), however, you can use any size.

Spray the bottom lightly with oil and then place a layer of corn tortillas on the bottom. They don't need to overlap much, but you might need to tear some in half to make it work.

Spoon on the green chile sauce and then sprinkle both the cheese and onion on top, making sure you have spread all three items evenly.

Repeat. I usually have two to three layers, but the key is to stop when you have run out of one of the ingredients.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. You are looking to make sure it's heated through and the cheese is melted. Garnish with lettuce and tomato, if desired. Serves 6-8.

I don't necessarily have to eat gluten free. I'm not allergic to gluten, however, what I like about this recipe is that it has high in protein: chicken, black beans, and the quinoa add a good bit of protein and the red chile is filled with Vitamin C. I also didn't have red quinoa and used the tricolor from Trader Joe's instead.

The recipe comes from The Albuquerque Journal newspaper and is copied below. I used this recipe from Bueno Foods to make the red chile sauce. I have a number of pods and it was a good way to start using them up

And this is the kind of casserole you can cut up and put in the freezer in small bags to reach for quickly later or for lunches.

Black bean chicken and quinoa enchilada casserole

1 cup of red quinoa

2 cups low- or no-sodium-added chicken stock

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 15-ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups diced cooked chicken breast

2 cups red chile sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Rinse the quinoa. Use a rice cooker or the stovetop, preparing the quinoa as you would rice. Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a pot, bring to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer and cover with a lid for about 20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.

In a large skillet, sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent then add garlic. Sauté for another minute and add quinoa, beans and chicken. Stir until well blended.

In a 9×13-inch casserole dish add a small amount of the red chile to the bottom of the dish then spoon the quinoa mixture into the dish and top with the rest of the red chile and then sprinkle the shredded cheese over that. Bake in oven at 375 degrees about 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.