Tortilla Casserole

And here it is on the plate:



Tortilla Casserole

9/2006

This recipe is courtesy of The Best 30-Minute Recipe. We like to use pre-shredded Mexican-blend cheese in this casserole since it's easy (and creamy), but any shredded cheddar cheese works fine.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion , minced
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans , rinsed
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper
5 cups tortilla chips (3 ounces)
2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese (see note)


1. Heat oven, sauté aromatics, and make sauce: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and bring to simmer.

2. Add vegetables, chicken, and herbs: Stir beans, tomatoes, and chipotle into sauce and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, 3 tablespoons cilantro, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3. Assemble Casserole: Spread 1 cup tortilla chips over bottom of 8-inch baking dish and top with 1 cup chicken mixture. Spread 2 more cups tortilla chips into dish and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Spread remaining chicken mixture into dish and top with remaining tortilla chips. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over top.

4. Bake: Bake until cheese is golden brown and casserole is bubbling, abut 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro before serving.


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Maybe the top was too hard because I used light cheese and not full fat cheese. It was good because it tasted like you were eating nachos. Also, it would be VERY easy to convert to vegetarian. I wouldn't drain the tomatoes, I'd use a little water or vegetable broth, and I'd add a can of black beans (and omit the chicken). I'm glad I used the blue corn chips because otherwise it'd just look like a pile of mush.

It says it serves four and that's a bit of a joke but in the other way this time. It could easily feed 6 and maybe 8 if there was a side salad.