Muy Bueno: Fiestas 
Enchilada Casserole (Pastel Azteca)
As a busy mom, I’m a huge fan of casseroles and one-pan dishes. The fewer the dishes I have to dirty while cooking the better.
This dish reminds me of lasagna, but with a Mexican twist. Layers and layers of goodness in a baking dish with lots and lots of cheese. Sounds glorious right?
Instead of pasta noodles the hearty carb is corn tortillas, and instead of marinara sauce this pastel Azteca is smothered with red chile sauce.
This dish is made by alternating layers of corn tortillas, shredded rotisserie chicken, corn, mushrooms, onion, and queso Oaxaca smothered with red enchilada sauce, and then topped with a combination of breadcrumbs and manchego cheese for a crunchy finish. In this recipe I kept it simple and used canned mushrooms and corn, but for a more complex flavor replace with sautéed mushrooms and fresh roasted corn off the cob.
This recipe is great to make for a Mother’s Day brunch or family dinner and can be enjoyed hot or at room temperature. This dish can even be pre-assembled the night before and refrigerated and baked while you enjoy a mimosa.
I would suggest serving this dish with additional red chile sauce or salsa. Or try a fried egg on top of each serving for a brunch alternative.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s out there! The world is definitely a better place because of your love and all you do for your families.
Enchilada Casserole (Pastel Azteca)
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups homemade Red Chile Sauce or 1, 28-ounce can Las Palmas red enchilada sauce
- 12 lightly fried corn tortillas
- 1 pound shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can corn
- 1 (7-ounce ) can sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- 1 ½ cups shredded Oaxaca cheese
- 1/2 cup manchego cheese grated
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Layer 4 tortillas in a square baking dish. Place 1/3 of chicken, corn, mushrooms, onion, and ½ of the Oaxaca cheese over tortillas and pour 1/3 of the sauce. Place the second layer of tortillas and repeat the procedure with the rest of the chicken, vegetables, and cheese to create 3 layers.
- Combine the bread crumbs with manchego cheese and sprinkle on top.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Recipe developed for Las Palmas Sauces. Opinions are my own.
Photography by Jeanine Thurston
4 Comments on “Enchilada Casserole (Pastel Azteca)”
estupenda!
Casseroles are my weakness. It’s a perfect dish for family parties. I have tried many other casseroles, but never with Oaxaca cheese. Any substitute you can suggest for it?
So happy to hear that Philip! I would recommend any white melty cheese. A great substitute is muenster cheese.
First of all I want to wish every Mother a beautiful and relaxing day
If we make this delicous dish I think we will have a very relaxing day without having to be at the stove all day.
Than we can enjoy the day with a cold beer or margarita with friends and family. Oh yeah.