Some dishes just stack up to be a bit better than others. This Stacked Enchilada Casserole is levels above other wannabe contenders, and we just know your crew is going to fall in love with it! When you layer tortillas and shredded chicken with an amazing, poblano-and-jalapeño-infused sauce, plus Mexican créma, and mountains of cheese, you know you’ve reached new heights of Mexican flavor. Stacked Enchilada Casserole is a collection of some of the best flavors, all in one bite! Pile it on, it’s fantastic!
Ingredients
- 4 medium poblano peppers
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 12 medium-large tomatillos, rinsed and peeled, quartered
- cilantro leaves, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 quart chicken stock
- salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 lime, juiced
- 12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, softened
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cooked and shredded
- 1 cup Mexican créma, can substitute crème fraîche or sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Directions
Step 1 –Turn the oven on to the high broil setting.
Step 2 –On an 18×26-inch baking sheet, add the poblano peppers in a single layer.
Step 3 –Place the baking dish in the oven, keeping the door slightly cracked to allow the steam to escape, and broil the poblano peppers until they are charred and blackened on all sides, about 10-12 minutes.
Step 4 –Place the charred peppers in a large bowl. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let them rest until they are cool enough to be handled.
Step 5 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 6 –Peel, de-seed, and coarsely chop the cooled poblano peppers. Set them aside.
Step 7 –In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Swirl the pan twice to coat.
Step 8 –Add the jalapeño, the onions, and the garlic to the heated olive oil and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 9 –In the bowl of a food processor, add the tomatillos and the cilantro and process until they are well-combined.
Step 10 –Add the chopped poblanos to the tomatillo mixture and process until a smooth sauce almost forms, about 1 minute.
Step 11 –Add the poblano sauce mixture to the jalapeño mixture and stir to combine.
Step 12 –Add the cumin, the honey, the chicken stock, the salt, and the black pepper to the sauce mixture and reduce the stovetop heat. Simmer the sauce mixture, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.
Step 13 –Add the lime juice to the sauce and stir to combine. Immediately turn off the stovetop heat.
Step 14 –On the bottom of an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish, add 1/4 of the sauce.
Step 15 –Layer 3 of the tortillas on top of the sauce layer.
Step 16 –Evenly add 1/3 of the chicken on top of the tortilla layer.
Step 17 –Evenly dot 1/3 of the sauce on top of the chicken layer.
Step 18 –Evenly dot 1/3 of the Mexican créma on top of sauce layer.
Step 19 –Evenly sprinkle 1/3 of the Swiss cheese and 1/3 of the Monterey Jack cheese on top of the Mexican créma layer.
Step 20 –Repeat the layers twice, starting with the sauce and ending with the Monterey Jack cheese.
Step 21 –Place the baking dish on a clean 18×26-inch baking sheet and bake the enchilada casserole until it is heated through and bubbly on top, about 40-50 minutes.
Step 22 –Serve.
