Sunday Food Blogging

The title implies that I write food items on a certain day of the week, but I don't. I write food items whenever I come up with a successful new dish, which is not all that often. New dishes are more frequent than successful new dishes (my wife has been known to walk into the kitchen and literally tear up recipes), and I only write about the latter. I also mentioned that today is Sunday and if you already knew that, then good for you.

I invented this item myself, which is unusual as hell. Usually I read a recipe and adapt it to my own taste. Sometimes the recipe is barely recognizable when I get through adapting it, but its original framework will still be there. This one I just plucked out of my own little pea brain, although it has some distant roots in my "Tortilla Stack" recipe, which I posted some time back, and it turned out to be pretty tasty.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

15oz can Hormel Chile No Beans
15oz can Tomato sauce
7oz can Tomato sauce
7oz can diced Ortega Green Chiles, drained
3-4 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 tsp Oregano
1 tbsp Chile powder
4 cups Mexican Cheese, mixed variety, grated
6 ea Yellow Corn Tortillas
2 ea skinless Chicken breasts

Grill the chicken breasts until they are just cooked through; about five minutes on each side, or a little longer if they are thick. Allow them to cool.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Put the first seven ingredients in a large bowl and mix them well. Slice the chicken across the grain, fairly thin, and set aside.

Now you’re ready to build the casserole, which is done in layers. Spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray, then start with the tortilla. Add a layer of chicken, then sauce, then cheese. Repeat as fits, but for the last layer put the cheese after the chicken and the sauce on top. If the cheese is on top it will burn.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is nice and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let stand about ten minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream for topping.

I should add that I dreamed it up last Monday, but making it had to wait until the weather cooled down and using the oven was more feasible.