Mexican Chicken Lasagna

It's the same story each January. The new year tends to make people think twice about what they eat. They start dieting. (again) They start a workout routine. (again) They try to shed those extra pounds put on over the holidays. I admit that I fall into that group of people. I bought a new Weight Watchers cookbook with some yummy looking recipes. This recipe isn't one out of the book but it's off the website and we love it. It's very filling and tasty. I'm sure you'll see some of the recipes from the book as well.

Losing weight or being healthy isn't just about dieting. It's about changing your lifestyle. Dieting makes it sound so cliche. But if you pay attention to what you put in your mouth, you'll start to realize there are quite a few things you can do without. The way I see it, if I don't get some sort of pleasure from it or it doesn't make me go "mmmm", I definitely make an effort to not eat it or at least try to cut back. Notice that I said I make an effort. Not that it works every time but it does help me think about it more than I use to. Then when October rolls around and I have an excuse to eat all the leftover candy that didn't get passed out to the cute little kids all dressed up, I won't feel so guilty. It seems to work for me. If I strive to follow my routine from January through September, then I feel I'm okay to let loose from October to December. It may not be a healthy or smart way to do things but it works for me. And I'm happy with it. So back off!














Mexican Chicken Lasagna

1 1/2 - 2 pounds uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (or you can buy the already roasted whole chicken at your grocery store deli and pull all the meat off)
30 oz. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups corn
3 cups light sour cream
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
8 oz (or two 4 oz cans) chopped green chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 medium corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch strips
1 cup salsa (optional for side)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 pan with cooking spray.

Place chicken in medium saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover chicken. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Drain. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut or shred into small bite size pieces.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl and add beans, corn, sour cream, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, chilies, cumin, garlic powder and pepper; Mix well and set aside.

Arrange half of the tortilla strips on the bottom of the pan, overlapping pieces to cover surface. Carefully spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortilla strips, layer with remaining tortilla strips and then top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Bake until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Serve with salsa on the side or on top.