Throughout the year I make a chicken chiliquilas though it is mostly during the colder months of the year when I roast a whole chicken and have leftover white meat, plus the good meat off the carcass. The week after Thanksgiving, however, the Mexican casserole is made with leftover turkey, and it doesn’t matter if it is white or dark meat.
Ingredients:
- Tostadas (or if you can’t find pre-cooked tostadas and Guerrero is the best, you can make do with a very sturdy and large bag of corn chips used in making nachos)
- Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (one can to make a small casserole, a large can to make a bigger dish or even two cans if you make a big batch!)
- Diced jalapenos (small can, juices drained)
- Sliced black olives
- Onion (one or two)
- Optional Chiles – a couple poblano peppers or one can diced green Chiles, drained)
- Shredded Mexican Cheese
- Chile Roasted Olive oil or plain olive oil
- Mexican Oregano
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Deep Casserole Pan
- Optional can of white beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly with water.
- Sour Cream, for serving
First, shred the turkey or chicken into bite-size pieces.
Turn oven on at 385.
In a 2-3 quart pot, preferably non-stick, put in 3 tablespoons of oil and heat skillet for a minute, then added the chopped onions and sauté for a few minutes. Add the Chiles and spices and cook until the onions are soft.
Then add the can(s) of green Chile enchilada sauce. Stir well and once it is blended well and warm, turn the stovetop off.
For the bottom of the casserole pan, drizzle some peanut oil on the bottom (if you have it) and smear evenly with a paper towel. This is just to make it easier to remove the sections of chiliquilas and also to clean the pan.
Assembly:
Put down a layer of tostadas – covering the bottom of the pan completely.
Spread chicken or turkey evenly throughout the pan.
Using a ladle or big spoon, and cover the meat with the green Chile sauce.
Put a layer of shredded cheese over the entire casserole.
Put a second layer of tostadas on top and repeat the process… meat, sauce, cheese.
If making the dish a little heartier, mix the beans in with layers of meat.
Finish with a third layer of tostada, cover that with cheese and spread the black olives (drained beforehand) on top of the dish. For folks that like it hotter, mix in fresh, chopped jalapenos on the top as well.
Bake for 25 minutes.
If serving “immediately”, this dish must cool for a solid hour before you can cut clean sections.
This dish is better a second day.
Top served sections with sour cream, if you like sour cream.
The tequila is for drinking and has nothing to do with the recipe! For wine drinkers, I recommend a chilled Rose of any brand, though I recently had this meal with a 2019 Bucher Vineyard Rose of Pinot Noir from the Russian River in Sonoma County. Bucher is just up the road from me, in Healdsburg. With a fresh green salad, or even a Caesar, it is an excellent meal. Chiliquilas also makes a great breakfast with a fried egg over the top, and a little hot sauce.