Chicken casserole with tortillas, tomatoes, and other vegetables.
INGREDIENTS:
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 cup sliced onion
* 1 large clove garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
* 6 corn tortillas (6-inch)
* vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese mixture or Monterey Jack cheese
* 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
* 6 canned whole green chiles, cut in half lengthwise
PREPARATION:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
Place onion mixture in a blender container; add tomatoes. Blend until smooth.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in pureed tomato mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce cooks down and thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer sauce to a bowl; set aside.
Wipe skillet clean. Pour vegetable oil into skillet, to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Heat over medium-high heat; fry tortillas, one at a time, just a few seconds on each side. Transfer tortillas to paper towels to drain.
Place 2 tortillas in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Layer with about one-quarter of the sauce, one-quarter of sour cream, one-quarter of shredded cheese, and 1 cup of chicken. Lay 6 chile slices on chicken. Top with 2 more tortillas. Repeat to make another layer. Top with remaining tortillas, sauce, sour cream, and cheese. Cover casserole with foil and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. Cool chicken tortilla casserole slightly before serving.
Chicken and tortilla casserole serves 4.
