Recipe - Navy Bean Enchilada Casserole

Cooking Spray, to coat
baking dish

FILLING
15 ounce Cooked navy beans, (1 can)
or any bean, rinsed and
drained
1 One half cup Chopped onion, (1 One half 2
cups)
4 Garlic cloves
One half cup Beer
One fourth teaspoon Ground red pepper, (One fourth to 1
tsp)
28 ounce Canned tomatoes, drained and
chopped

OPTIONAL
Cooked potato, chopped
Cooked rice, (One half 1 cup)
9 ounce Chopped green chiles, (2
4.5 oz. cans)
One half Roasted red peppers, (One half to
1) chopped

WHITE SAUCE
5 tablespoon Allpurpose flour
One half teaspoon Salt
One half teaspoon Ground cumin, (One half 1 tsp)
One fourth teaspoon Ground coriander, (One fourth to
1/2)
2 cup Skim milk
2 lg Egg whites, lightly beaten
or 6 tbls. egg substitute
One half cup Nonfat mozzarella cheese,
with jalapenos *
9 Corn tortillas, (6inch) cut
in half

GARNISHES
One half cup Yogurt, or sour cream
One half cup Salsa

* original called for Three fourths cup cheddar cheese and Three fourths cup Monterey Jack
cheese (I may use more cheese next time, but it was rich and delicious
without, too.)

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until tender. Add beans, beer, red
pepper, and tomatoes, and anything else you wish to include in the filling
(such as a cooked potato or rice). Cook 10 minutes or until most of the
liquid evaporates. Add the roasted red pepper and canned chiles. Remove
from heat.

Combine flour, salt, cumin, and coriander in a medium saucepan. Gradually
add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Place over medium heat; cook
7 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Gradually add hot milk
mixture to egg whites, stirring constantly with whisk. Set aside.

(It would be easier to prepare the sauce in a microwave so you don't have
to continuously stir.)

Place cheeses, if using, in a bowl; toss well. Set aside.

Spread One half cup white sauce in bottom of a 2 One half quart round casserole or
souffle dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortilla halves over
sauce; top with 2 cups filling mixture, One half cup white sauce, and 1/3 of the
cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with sauce. Set remaining
cheese mixture aside. (This is so you can add it to the top at the last
minute for a pretty presentation. I didn't bother with this; I simply put
the last cheese underneath the cream sauce. It was still pretty!)

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with
remaining cheese mixture; bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10
minutes before serving. (And do let it stand! I didn't, and the first
serving was like a soup. After standing, it into a quichelike
consistency.)

Serve with sour cream and salsa.

NOTE: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time; cover and chill in the
refrigerator overnight, then bake at 350 for 1 hour or until bubbly. Or
freeze casserole, thaw in refrigerator 24 hours, then bake for 1 hour or
until thoroughly heated.

Per serving: 339 Calories; 3g Fat (7% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 61g
Carbohydrate; 6mg Cholesterol; 725mg Sodium Food Exchanges: 2 1/2
Starch/Bread; 1 Lean Meat; 2 One half Vegetable; One half NonFat Milk; One half Fat

NOTES : This was inspired by the Chicken Enchilada Casserole from Cooking
Light, October 1996. Whether you use the original recipe with chicken, or
this version with white beans, it is an excellent casserole! It is even
good without cheese, and would be fine made with a light soy milk. As
others have reported, this dish does take some time to prepare and
assemble, but everything can be prepared ahead of time. It freezes well
both before and after baking.
Recipe by: Ellen Rakes ellen@brakes.elekta.com (inspired by CL mag)
Posted to Digest eatlf.v097.n105 by "Ellen C." ellen@elekta.com on Apr
21, 1997