Chicken, Cheese, and Green Chile Chilaquiles

This dish ROCKS! It's kind of like an enchilada casserole...but not. The crispy tortilla strips are layered with green chiles, Mexican red sauce, chicken, and cheese. Feel free to get creative by adding sweet corn or olives to the layers - you could tweak this recipe any which way! If you don't have time to fry your own tortilla strips, it should work fine with store-bought corn chips. OR, for a healthier & easier version, drizzle the tortillas with a little oil and bake or broil them in the oven until crispy instead of frying. :)

Serving Size: 6 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cups white wine

1 lime, juiced

3 cloves smashed garlic (for broth)

2 cloves minced garlic (for sauce)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1 Bay leaf

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 to 4 jalepeno peppers, seeded & chopped (2 = VERY mild. 4 = a little heat)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp salt

1 can (7 oz) whole green chiles, cut into strips

(I use the brand Ortega: Original Fire Roasted Whole Green Chiles)

1/2 cup heavy cream

16 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Vegetable oil, for frying tortillas

1 cup medium cheddar cheese

Crumbled queso fresco, queso anejo, or feta cheese (for garnish)

Sour cream

Fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth, wine, lime juice, smashed garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 of the oregano, & bay leaf. Add chicken breasts and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from broth and let rest until cool enough to shred into pieces. Do not discard the broth, as we'll be using it later! :)

For the sauce: In a large skillet heat olive oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the minced jalapenos and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cumin, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken broth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, begin frying tortilla chips. Bring 2 inches of vegetable oil to temperature (about 360 degrees) in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the corn tortillas in batches and fry until lightly golden (about 2 minutes). Let drain on paper towels and season with salt immediately.

Once sauce has thickened, add the green chile strips and the cream. Cook for another 5 minutes, taste, and re-season if needed.

Lightly grease 8" x 11 1/2" casserole dish and place 1/2 of tortillas on bottom. Layer with 1/2 of the shredded chicken, 1/2 of the tomato-chile sauce, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Top with crumbled mexican cheese (or feta) and bake in 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly.

Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro. Serve with a side of corn & Mexican Cesar salad.