Spinach and Chicken Tortilla Bake

This recipe is spicy!    You can control the heat by varying the salsa and the cheese that you use in the recipe.  The first time I made it, I used pepper jack cheese and a salsa verde that said, “HOT!” on it.    I was only able to eat a single piece, which filled me up for the rest of the evening.   I have heard that spicy food fills you up and suppresses your appetite, and I can certainly attest to that fact based on eating a single slice of this.

This is a quick and easy dinner that will become a staple in our dinner rotation.  It’s great heated up as a leftover also.

Spinach and Chicken Tortilla Bake

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups store-bought salsa verde (use mild you don't want it real spicy/hot)
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
4 large (8″) flour tortillas
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 cups baby spinach (about 1/4 pound)
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (if you don't like it spicy/hot use a milder cheese)

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then shred the meat.

Whisk together the salsa verde and ricotta; season with salt and pepper. In a greased 9-inch square baking dish, layer one-third of the salsa mixture, tortillas, chicken, onion, spinach and pepper jack; repeat twice. Bake until golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.