Cheese Enchilada Casserole

Truth be told, after the birth of our son, my husband (Mike) and I fell into what some might affectionately call a "dinner rut."  Our dinners were something quick and easy for Mike to whip together while I took care of putting the baby to bed.  And the rotation went something like this: pizza (frozen), pasta (fresh ravioli), Pei Wei (sesame chicken!), and eggs (which later morphed into "p'eggs").  We were tired.  We were hungry.  Sometimes we had pizza 2 nights in a row.  After many many months we were ready for a change.  The baby was older and bedtime a bit more predictable.  It was time to dig into my recipe archives, and the revival of Cheese Enchilada Casserole was born. 

Cheese Enchilada Casserole is an easy weeknight meal that's full of flavor and is healthy too.  With some advance prep work it can easily be assembled and on the table in around 30 minutes.  There are countless variations that can evolve from this basic recipe - add chicken or black beans, vary the cheese or tomatoes or sauce.  Yet it's just as tasty prepared in the version written below. 

Cheese Enchilada Casserole
Yields 4 servings

1 cup (8 oz) fat free cottage cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped 
15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1 cup taco sauce
1/4 cup (1 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
9 6" corn tortillas
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Mix first 6 ingredients, through chili powder, in bowl.  [This step can be done in advance]
3. Place 3 corn tortillas in baking dish.  Top tortillas with 1/2 of cheese mixture.  Repeat.  Top final layer with 3 corn tortillas. 
4. Pour taco sauce over tortillas and top with 1/4 cup cheddar cheese.
5. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Slice into 4 pieces and serve.

Adapted from Cooking Light