Simple Chipotle Chilaquiles Tortilla Casserole Recipes

SIMPLE CHIPOTLE CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Heat the broiler. Spread the tomatoes onto a baking sheet and broil until they are darkly roasted, about 6 minutes a side.
• (Note: Chef Bayless uses half a large onion, but this recipe has substituted 1 small onion instead.) Cut the onion in half, then cut both halves into ¼-inch slices; reserve half of the slices for garnish. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or a deep, large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onion and cook, stirring regularly, until golden, about 7 minutes. Peel and mince the garlic cloves; add to golden onions and stir until soft, 1 more minute.
• Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and transfer to a blender. Add the chipotles and blend to a coarse purée. Pour the mixture into the pan with the sautéed onions and garlic; cook over medium-high heat until the sauce has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the epazote or cilantro and the broth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a rolling boil; taste and add more salt if necessary. Add the chips and make sure they are coated with the sauce; then cover the pan and turn off the heat. Allow to rest until the chips have soaked up the sauce, 5 minutes.
• Gently stir the chilaquiles before spooning them into a serving dish. Top with the remaining half of the onion slices and garnish with the crema, queso anejo, and additional epazote or cilantro.

CHIPOTLE TURKEY CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In batches, arrange tortilla pieces in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet and bake 6-8 minutes or until crisp., In a large bowl, toss turkey with onion and garlic. Place lime juice and peppers in a blender; cover and process until blended., Arrange half of the tortilla pieces in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with turkey mixture, beans, 1-1/2 cups cheese and chipotle mixture. Top with the remaining tortilla pieces and cheese. Pour broth over top., Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro. If desired, serve with rice and sour cream.

CHIPOTLE CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Coat a large saucepan with olive oil. Toss in the onion, season with salt and bring to medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and very aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the garlic, jalapeno and chorizo and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, breaking up the meat with a spoon.
• Add the chopped cilantro, chipotles, adobo sauce and tomatoes. Season with salt, taste and season again if needed. Stir in 1 cup water, increase the heat to high, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the mixture has a good saucy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• While the sauce cooks, fill a large saucepan with about 3 inches of canola oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to about 375 degrees F (or add a slice of tortilla to the oil -- when it sizzles, starts to float and crisps up, it's ready). While the oil heats up, put a couple of paper towels on a baking sheet next to the stove. When the oil is hot, work in batches to fry the tortillas until they are crispy chips. Remove the chips from the oil, drain on the paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss a third of the chips with a third each of the tomato sauce and cheeses. Spread the chip mixture in the bottom of a large ovenproof casserole dish, then top with another third of the chips, sauce and cheeses. Repeat the process with the remaining chips, sauce and cheeses. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• When the casserole comes out of the oven, coat a large saute pan lightly with olive oil. Add the eggs (you will probably have to work in batches to fry all of them -- no worries) and bring the pan to medium heat. Cook the eggs until the whites are cooked through and the yolks are warm and runny, about 4 minutes. Place the fried eggs on top of the chips. Sprinkle with the whole cilantro leaves. Serve with the lime wedges and crema.

SIMPLE CHIPOTLE CHILAQUILES (TORTILLA "CASSEROLE")

Steps:

• Make the chips or measure out the store bought chips. For the sauce. If using drained canned tomatoes, place them in a blender jar. If using fresh tomatoes, spread the onto a baking sheet and place them 4 inches below a very hot broiler. When they are darkly roasted (they'll be blackened in spots), about 6 minutes, flip them over and roast the other side-5 to 6 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatoes that are soft and cooked through. Cool. Working over your baking sheet, pull off and discard the blackened skins, and for round tomatoes, cut out the hard cores where the stems were attached. Transfer to a blender, along with all the juices on the baking sheet. If using canned chipotles, add them to the blender, seeds and all, If using dried chipotles, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes, turning frequently until very aromatic. Place in a small bowl, cover with hot tap water and let rehydrate 30 minutes. Drain and add to the blender. Blend the tomatoes and chiles to a puree, but one that still retains a little texture. You should have 2 1/4 cups puree. Over medium heat, set a medium-large wide pot (like a 4-quart Dutch oven of Mexican cazuela) or a deep, large (12-inch) saute pan-you'll need a lid for whatever vessel you choose. Measure the oil, add half of the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until richly golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute, then raise the heat to medium-high. Add the tomato puree and stir nearly constantly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens somewhat. Stir in the broth or water and season with salt. The sauce needs to be seasoned highly with salt, but watch out if your chips or broth is already salted. Cover the pot if not continuing with step 2 right away. You should have 4 1/2 cups broth mixture. To cook and serve the chilaquiles. Set out the crema, chicken and cheese. Put the pot over medium high heat until the broth mixture boils. Stir in the epazote (if you're using cilantro, set it aside to add later) and the tortilla chips, coating all the chips well. Let return to a rolling boil, cover tightly and turn off the heat. Let stand 5 minutes (no longer). Immediately uncover and very carefully stir to coat the chips evenly with the sauce and to check that the chips have softened nicely-they should be a little chewy, not mushy. (If they are too chewy, stir in a little more broth, cover and set over medium heat for 3 or 4 more minutes). Sprinkle with the cilantro, if that is the herb you're using. Either spoon onto warm individual plates in the kitchen or serve directly from the vessel it was made in. Whichever you choose, drizzle the chilaquiles with the crema (or one of its stand-ins), strew with the remaining sliced onion and the optional shredded chicken, and dust generously with the finely crumbled cheese.;