Hatch Chile Chicken Lasagna {Gluten-Free}

Do ya'll like Hatch chiles?  Do you know what a Hatch chile is??  I ask because up until 6 years ago when I moved to Dallas, I had never heard of them before.  That all changed when I chose to live in an apartment complex right across from the Foodie Heaven known in Texas as Central Market.

 Central Market is THE ultimate place to experience Hatch chiles.  Every year in August, they throw a HUGE Hatch Chile Festival that Dallasites look forward to all year long.

This festival is legit - the store roasts thousands of Hatch chiles in a huge roaster right in the parking lot and makes them available for purchase so that customers can create all kinds of drool-worthy Hatch chile dishes to end the summer with a bang.  The smell of these chiles roasting in the parking lot is enough to make me lose my mind, and after trying a few of the "signature" Hatch items created by Central Market (think Hatch cheddar apple pie, Hatch chocolate sauce, Hatch cornbread, and Hatch enchildas), I was a self-proclaimed "Hatch Head."

The Hatch Chile Festival is something I have truly missed this year since we now live in Lincoln, NE.  I've longingly looked at the Central Market website and ads this month, dreaming of days gone by that I spent roaming the aisles and sampling all of the Hatch chile goodness.  I was uber-grateful and relieved, however, when I found out that local grocers in Lincoln get their own shipments of chiles in from Hatch, NM for a short period near the end of August.  Buying these chiles, roasting them, and incorporating them into my favorite Tex-Mex style meals has been my window to connect to something I loved so much about Texas - and now I plan to give myself even more Hatch therapy by sharing some favorite Hatch recipes with you!

I'm planning on sharing a Hatch recipe every Wednesday for the next few weeks, and I hope you will join in the fun and share your favorite ways to use Hatch chiles with me in the comments section below the recipe!  The first recipe I'm sharing today is a light yet satisfying Hatch Chile Lasagna.  It's gluten-free, less than 10 ingredients, and can be made up to one day ahead and baked when you are ready to eat!  It is certainly balanced enough to make a one-dish meal satisfying for me, but you could certainly serve it with a Southwestern-inspired side salad, grilled corn, or some spicy black beans.

P.S. If you can't find Hatch chiles in your hometown, roasted Poblano chiles would be a great substitute in this recipe.  You can also substitute another brand of green enchilada sauce if you can't find the Hatch brand.

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Hatch Chile Chicken Lasagna

This healthy enchilada-style supper comes together in no time and tastes even better the next day for lunch. Serve with a side of citrus fruit or some pinto beans for a complete meal.

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Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 12 Hatch chiles roasted, seeded, and split down the middle
• 2 cups cooked chopped chicken breast (recommend rotisserie chicken for ease)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 medium onion cut into thin strips
• 1 can Hatch green chile enchilada sauce 14.5 ounce can
• 4 ounces or 1 cup of manchego cheese crumbled or shredded
• Dried chile powder can use regular, ancho, or chipotle
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• Juice and zest of one lime

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Caramelize onions in a nonstick saute pan on medium-low heat in 1 teaspoon of oil, stirring often. They should take about 10 minutes to caramelize.
• Combine the chopped chicken, cooked quinoa, and caramelized onions in a bowl.
• Pour 1/3 of the can of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Place 4 of the chiles in the sauce for the bottom layer. Spread 1/2 the chicken mixture over the chiles. Add 1/3 cup of cheese. Add another 1/3 of the sauce, 4 mores chiles, the other half of chicken mixture, and another 1/3 cup of cheese. Finish by placing the last 4 chiles on top, then spread the remaining 1/3 of the sauce over the chiles. Sprinkle the last 1/3 cup of cheese on the very top, and lightly dust the top of cheese with a sprinkle of chile powder for color.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted and golden. While the lasagna bake, mix together the sour cream with the lime juice and zest. Refrigerate this until ready to serve.
• Serve the lasagna hot from the oven with a drizzle of the lime sour cream on top.

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.4g | Protein: 15.4g | Fat: 4.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 371mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 4.1g | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg