Everyday Southwest Video Debut! Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Casserole – Our Submission for Cacique Contest

One of my guilty pleasures is cheese. I love cheese of any type. Salty cheese. Crumbly cheese. Stringy cheese. Strong flavored cheese. Oooey-gooey cheese. And I have a new favorite: Cacique brand Queso Quesadilla

One of our family’s favorite go-to dinners is a chicken enchilada casserole. I posted this in our first post on this blog. I have lately been using Cacique brand Queso Quesadilla in place of the usual Monterey Jack Cheese. This is a very flavorful cheese – nutty and buttery and rich tasting. It is great in dishes like this because it melts well and is very flavorful. And this recipe is even better with this cheese. I promise this will be one of your family’s favorites, too!

So, this is my entry for the Cacique challenge that just ended today. OK, Giada I’m not, I’ll admit that, but the contest required a video. So please try not to snicker. I wanted to share the cheesy goodness with you all!

Salud!

ROASTED TOMATILLO CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Prep time: 30 minutes Serves 6 to 8

12 tomatillos, skins discarded, halved

2 Anaheim peppers, halved

A little canola cooking oil spray

2 teaspoons kosher salt

8 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup flour

16-oz chicken broth

8-oz Cacique Crema Mexicana

18 corn tortillas

1 rotisserie chicken (about 3 pounds)

8 ounces Cacique Queso Quesadilla, grated

4 ounces Cacique Queso Cotija or Queso Fresco, crumbled

Remove seeds and pulp from chiles. Place tomatillos and chiles cut side down on baking sheet. Spray with cooking oil. Broil 6 inches from heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn oven to bake at 350 degrees.

Pulse tomatillos and chiles with 1 teaspoon of salt in food processor until roughly chopped.

Sauté onions in 4 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook about another minute until flour is absorbed. Whisk in chicken broth, simmer until thickened. Whisk crema into broth mixture. Taste and add up to 1 teaspoon of remaining salt.

Sauté each tortilla one at a time, adding in a little of the remaining butter for each tortilla, over medium high heat until cooked but not crisp, about 10 to 20 seconds on each side.

Remove meat from chicken and finely shred into small pieces with two forks. Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce in a 9 by 13 baking pan. Assemble the following layers (just like you would lasagna): spread 6 tortillas, overlapping to fit pan in a single layer; one third vegetable mixture; one third chicken meat; one third sauce; one third cheeses. Repeat for a total of three layers, ending with cheese on top.

Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.