Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole With Tomatillo Salsa Recipes

CHICKEN CHILAQUILES CASSEROLE WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 4 qt. casserole. In large mixing bowl, combine tomatillo salsa, heavy cream/sour cream, dash salt/pepper.
• 2. Heat the vegetable oil in large skillet over low-medium heat. Cook tortillas just 5 seconds per side to soften. Transfer to platter w/ paper towels or into colander to drain.
• 3. TO ASSEMBLE CHILAQUILES: Spread layer of cheeses mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Dip each tortilla, one at a time, in tomatillo sauce to moisten. Set moistened tortillas aside.
• 4. Integrate onions and chicken into sauce, mix well to combine. Layer 1/3 of moistened tortillas over cheese in casserole dish. Top tortillas with 1/2 of tomatillo sauce.
• 5. Sprinkle remaining cheeses over sauce. Now repeat the second layer with tortillas and remaining sauce, ending with layer of moistened tortillas on top. If desired (I always do!) sprinkle another half cup of cheeses over tortillas.
• 6. Cover casserole tightly with aluminum foil. Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 minutes more or until edges are slightly brown. Let sit 10-15 minutes prior to serving.

CHILAQUILES CON POLLO: TORTILLA CASSEROLE WITH CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• In a medium sauce pan boil the water, add the tomatillos and serrano chiles and let them cook for about 8 minutes. In a blender puree the tomatillos, chiles, garlic, and onions using enough of the tomatillo water to make a sauce consistency. Strain.
• Cut the tortillas in half and then in quarters making 8 triangles from each one. In a medium-size skillet heat the oil, fry the tortillas until crisp and remove from heat.
• In a medium-size skillet saute the chicken breast until done and then slice into 1-inch strips.
• In a medium sauce pan bring the tomatillo salsa to a boil, taste for salt, and season if necessary, add the crispy tortillas and let simmer for about 4 minutes or until the tortillas get soft.
• In a 8 by 8 inch baking dish, place some of the chilaquiles with sauce, add some of the chicken strips, cover with more tortillas then top with the grated cheese. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F. oven until the cheese melts, garnish with the cream, chopped onion, and avocado slices.

CHILAQUILES WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Special equipment: 4 individual casserole dishes
• To make the salsa:
• Preheat the broiler or oven to 550 degrees F.
• Remove husks from the tomatillos and rinse under warm water to remove the stickiness. Put the chiles, garlic, onion and tomatillos on a baking sheet. Season with a little olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Put on a rack about 1 or 2 inches from the heat, and cook, turning the vegetables once, until softened and slightly charred, about 5 to 7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic and pull off the tops of the chiles. Add all the broiled ingredients to a blender along with the fresh cilantro and puree. Pour in 1/4 cup of chicken broth and blend to combine. Add more broth, if needed, for desired consistency.
• To make the chilaquiles:
• Pour about 1/3 cup vegetable oil into a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tortillas, working in 2 or 3 batches, and cook until lightly browned and nearly crisp. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and discard the remaining oil. Wipe the pan with a paper towel.
• In the same pan, add the tomatillo salsa and bring to simmer over low heat. Add the tortillas and cook until soft but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the mixture among 4 individual casserole dishes. Top with the cheese crumbles and onion rings. Drizzle with Mexican crema, sprinkle with some chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
• *Cook's Note: Salsa Verde means "green sauce" and is typically made with tomatillos, green chiles and cilantro. Make your own fresh, or you can also find it canned at most supermarkets.
• Tomatillos are a small green fruit encased in a tissue paper-like husk. They should be used when they are still green, before they are ripe and the husk has turned brown. Before using, remove the husk, rinse and dry the fruit. (They do not need to be seeded.) They are found in most supermarkets
• **Cook's Note: Chilaquiles is a Mexican brunch dish invented to use leftovers. It is made with day old tortillas (cut or torn into chips) and salsa verde. They are cooked together until the tortillas are slightly softened. Chilaquiles are eaten alone or with beans, eggs or shredded chicken.
• ***Cook's Note: Queso fresco is a white, mild, fresh Mexican cheese with the texture of fresh farmer's cheese in the US. Queso fresco can be found in many supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online. It can be substituted with a mild feta cheese.

GREEN CHICKEN CHILAQUILES CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Place the breasts in the stock, reduce the heat to moderate, cover and cook until the meat is tender, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool in the stock. When cool, remove the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Strain and reserve the stock for another use.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the fresh tomatillo salsa, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the onion and shredded chicken pieces.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the tortillas just about 5 seconds per side to soften, and then transfer to a large colander to drain.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 4 quart casserole or 6 to 8 individual casseroles (at the restaurant, we use small soup bowls).
• Combine the cheeses in a mixing bowl.
• To assemble the chilaquiles, spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture over the bottom of the baking dish. Push the solids in the bowl of chicken and tomatillo sauce to the side so the liquids form a pool in the bottom. Dip all the softened tortillas in the pool to moisten. Layer one third of the moist tortillas over the cheese and top with half of the chicken mixture with its sauce. Sprinkle half of the remaining cheese over the chicken. Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of tortillas on top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake 30 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving or unmolding.
• In blender place tomatillos, jalapenos and water. Puree until just chunky. Add remaining ingredients and puree about 2 minutes more, or until no large chunks remain. This salsa keeps in the refrigerator, in a covered container, about 3 days.
• In large bowl combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. The dough should be slightly sticky and form a ball when pressed together. To test, flatten a small piece of dough between your palms. If the edges crack, add water to the dough, a tablespoon at a time, until a test piece does not crack.
• Divide the dough into 24 golf ball size pieces for tacos and 12 large balls for quesadillas. Place on a platter and cover with a damp towel. Line a tortilla press with 2 sheets of plastic cut from a plastic freezer bag or other heavy duty plastic bag.
• Heat a dry cast iron skillet, or non-stick pan until moderately hot. Flatten each ball of dough in the tortilla press, then remove the plastic from the top and, holding the tortilla with your fingertips, peel off the bottom sheet. Lay the tortillas one by one on the skillet and cook about 30 to 45 seconds per side, pressing the top of each tortilla with your fingertips to make it puff. Place the hot tortillas on a towel.
• When they are still warm but not hot, stack and wrap in a towel. Serve immediately or let cool, wrap well in plastic or a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator up to a week.

CHICKEN WITH CHILAQUILES AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Stir together sour cream and just enough milk to get a thick pourable consistency.
• Bring salsa and broth to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat. Add chicken, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in 6 cups tortilla chips and cook until chips are softened (but not mushy), about 1 minute.
• Transfer chilaquiles to a large platter. Sprinkle with feta, cilantro, and 1 cup broken chips and serve immediately, with thinned sour cream on the side.

CHILAQUILES WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• To make the fried tortilla strips, slice corn tortillas into thin strips.
• Fry in a large skillet of hot oil until light golden brown and crisp, watching carefully so they do not burn.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• To assemble the casserole, spread the corn strips on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.
• Place the chicken on top and cover with the sauce, then top with cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.
• Spread the sour cream over the top of the casserole and serve.