Quick Shrimp Enchilada Bake

From EatingWell: June/July 2005, The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (2006) — Subscribe Now!

Shrimp enchiladas offer a taste of coastal Mexican cuisine but some versions contain so much cheese, butter and sour cream that they can pack a whopping 50 grams of fat per serving. Our version has vibrant flavor and only half the calories and 6 grams of fat per serving, plus we use precooked peeled shrimp so you can get the dish on your table fast enough for a weeknight supper. The addition of refried beans helps makes these enchiladas an excellent source of fiber as well.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I made this for the first time last night and my boyfriend liked it a lot. He went back for seconds. This was pretty easy to make, which was great since I had a long day at work and didn't have the energy to do anything really...

8 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 pound peeled cooked shrimp, (see Ingredient Note), tails removed, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles, (not drained)
2 cups canned green enchilada sauce, or green salsa, divided
12 corn tortillas
1 15-ounce can nonfat refried beans
1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese, such as Mexican-style cheese blend, Monterey Jack or Cheddar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine shrimp, corn, chiles and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce (or salsa) in a microwave-safe medium bowl. Cover and microwave on High until heated through, about 2 1/2 minutes.
Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce (or salsa) in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of 6 overlapping tortillas. Spread refried beans evenly over the tortillas. Top the beans with the shrimp mixture, followed by the remaining 6 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce (or salsa) over the tortillas. Cover with foil.
Bake the casserole until it begins to bubble on the sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle cheese on top. Continue baking until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Allow the cold baking dish to warm slightly before placing in a hot oven.

Ingredient note: Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized, so to be sure you're getting the size you want, order by the count (or number) per pound. Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Fortunately, it is possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught with sound environmental practices. Look for fresh or frozen shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or Marine Stewardship Council. If you can't find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America—it's more likely to be sustainably caught.

Nutrition

Per serving: 281 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 0 g mono); 121 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrates; 23 g protein; 6 g fiber; 709 mg sodium; 241 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (24% daily value), Calcium, Iron & Vitamin C (20% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 starch, 2 lean meat