Casserole "Enchilada"

Votes: 2

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Complexity: average
Servings: 10-12

Enchiladas are a traditional Mexican dish made of neat tubes of stuffed corn tortillas baked in a tomato and cheese sauce. This casserole could be called a "lazy" enchilada, as it's made as a casserole, which is no less delicious. The casserole is layered with tomato enchilada sauce, corn tortillas, a mixture of grated cheeses, fried ground beef with spices, and shredded grilled chicken. Everything is sprinkled with more grated cheese and baked until the filling is deliciously gooey and the top is covered with a golden, cheesy crust. This enchilada is perfect for a Sunday or holiday dinner.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Enchilada sauce

1 tbsp. l. olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 clove garlic, grated or crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp dried thyme
1 can (800 g) of canned crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup beef broth

Beef layer

2 tbsp. l. olive oil
0.5 cup finely chopped sweet green pepper
0.5 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
3 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
450 g ground beef, 15% fat
0.5-1 tsp onion powder
0.5-1 tsp dried thyme
1 packet (about 1/4 tsp) of sazon seasoning
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup beef broth

Chicken layer

1 grilled chicken, without skin and bones, chop the meat
0.5 cups grated cheddar
0.5 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Casserole

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1.5 cups grated cheddar
1.5 cups grated pepper jack cheese
20-24 6-inch (15 cm) diameter corn tortillas, cut in half

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Make the enchilada sauce:

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil, onion, a pinch of salt, and some ground black pepper over medium heat. Cook until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the tomato paste; stir with a wooden spoon and cook until the paste darkens, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and thyme. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the pureed tomatoes and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
Prepare the beef layer:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and green and red bell peppers. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until the onion and pepper are softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the ground beef, onion powder, cumin, thyme, sauerkraut, tomatoes, and broth, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring to break up the ground beef. When the beef is done, taste and add a pinch of salt and a little black pepper. The sauerkraut contains salt, so be careful not to over-salt the sauce.

Prepare the chicken layer:

In a large bowl, combine shredded rotisserie chicken, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, and shredded cheeses.
Assemble the casserole and bake:

Butter the entire inside of a deep 9x13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the grated cheeses. Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce into the prepared dish. One at a time, soak the tortilla slices in the still-warm enchilada sauce in the pan and arrange them in the bottom of the dish, aligning them to the edges and overlapping them if necessary to cover the entire bottom of the dish. Then add 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture, all of the beef, another 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture, another layer of enchilada sauce-dipped tortillas, all of the chicken, and a final layer of enchilada sauce-dipped tortillas. Drizzle with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese mixture. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let the casserole rest for a while, then slice like lasagna and serve.