Spiralized Sweet Potato & Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Spiralized sweet potato is a great alternative to tortillas in this flavorful enchilada casserole.  Using sweet potatoes makes this recipe gluten free and grain free and adds a new dimension to the traditional enchilada dish.

To make this recipe Paleo and  Whole 30 compliant, omit the black beans and cheese. Additional veggies can be used in place of the black beans.  You can skip the cheese all together or use a non-dairy cheese alternative.

Ingredients:

• 12-16 ounces chicken, cooked, diced or shredded
• 2-3 medium sized sweet potatoes, spiralized
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1-2 bell peppers, chopped (any color)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-15 ounce can of black beans drained and rinsed (you can omit beans and substitute more veggies)
• 1-4 ounce can green chilis
• 1-10 ounce can enchilada sauce
• 1½ T arrowroot, to thicken sauce
• ½ – 1 cup cheese, grated (optional) *

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the spiralized sweet potatoes in 9×13 inch casserole dish (or similar) and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions to the pan and sauté for until soft and tender. Add diced peppers and garlic.  Continue sautéing another 4-5 minutes until peppers are soft.
4. While vegetables are sautéing, thicken the enchilada sauce. In a glass bowl, whisk 1½ T arrowroot powder together with 1½ T cold water until well combined.  Add thickener to enchilada sauce and mix well, set aside.
5. When onions and peppers are done, turn off the heat and stir in prepared chicken, canned chilis and black beans.
6. Transfer from the skillet to the casserole dish and spread over the sweet potatoes.
7. Pour the thickened enchilada sauce over the top and use a spoon to gently mix everything together.
8. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
9. Remove the casserole from the oven and add grated cheese. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
10. Once the cheese is fully melted, remove casserole from the oven and set aside for 5-10 minutes before and serving.
11. Serve with any desired toppings: cilantro, green onions, avocado, tomato.

*I use non-dairy Daiya shredded cheese alternative.  I added itinside the casserole and on top.