Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

Here we are in May already!  May is one of my favorite months.  The days are getting longer, and somewhat nicer.  I have lots of friends who have birthdays in this month. Peyton was born in May.  Cinco de Mayo is also a highlight of the month.   I love how people look at it as the perfect excuse to drink Coronas and margaritas and eat tasty food.  You know that is my kind of day.

Chilaquiles is known as the traditional hangover food.  Typically served at breakfast or brunch and often with eggs.  My interpretation is a casserole and includes chicken.  This is another dish that you can easily customize to your taste.  Vegetarian? Leave out the chicken.  Add some beans for extra protein.  Toss in those eggs and serve at breakfast time.  For garnish I used guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.  Have a fresh salad on the side and there is dinner. I fried my tortillas, but you could simplify and use tortilla chips.  Of course, don't forget your favorite beverage to wash it down!

Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

8 small corn tortillas

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken, of course)

1 cup corn, frozen or fresh

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

14 ounce can diced tomatoes

19 ounce can enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cheese, such as cheddar or monterey jack

8 small corn tortillas

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Preheat oven to 400.  Prepare a 2-quart casserole dish with baking spray.  

Cut tortillas into strips.  I used a pizza cutter for easy slicing.  In a medium skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.  Fry tortilla strips in batches for about 30 seconds.  Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

In a large skillet, cook onion, garlic, corn, and the full can of tomatoes about 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Transfer to a bowl and add chicken. Stir to combine.  

Place a layer of tortilla strips in the bottom of your casserole. Then top with the chicken  mixture, half the can of enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat each layer one more time.  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 10 more minutes.  Casserole should be bubbly and cheese should be melted.  

Add your favorite garnishes and enjoy!

This would be the perfect dish to make for Cinco de Mayo.  It is completely no fuss and will feed a crowd. The flavors are delicious and you can make it however you like.  Oh, and this can be prepared with an 11-month-old baby holding onto your legs, crying and wailing....or so I've heard.  Pass the tequila.

Cinco de Mayo wrap-up

Hola!

I intended to get this post up a lot sooner....but, you know, cake pops got in the way.

We had a fun, laid-back Cinco de Mayo this year. We cooked at home and had two of our great friends over. Mexican food is some of my favorite and easy to make at home.

Mexico holds a special place in our hearts. We love to vacation there so much, we even got married there! While our food (and weather) wasn't exactly like Cabo, we had fun reminiscing!

I bought this figurine on the night of our rehearsal dinner, at Mi Casa, a great restaurant in downtown Cabo.

Cinco de Mayo menu:

Slow cooked pork tacos

margaritas

chips/salsa/guacamole

margaritas

Mexican cinnamon brownies

margaritas

I like a very basic margarita. I think margarita mix is way too sweet and artificial and it contains HFCS, which you know I abhor. All you need is tequila, triple sec, lime, lemon, and I like to add a little orange juice. This is a great mix for throwing together in a pitcher and honestly, I don't measure, I just mix it to taste, you know what you and your guests like.

Unfortunately, my slow cooker is one of my kitchen appliances that I rarely use. However, when I do, it's always a success. This was an easy way to make the pork for our tacos.

I started with a 5 pound pork shoulder placed directly into the slow cooker. For spices...

Combine in a small bowl:

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp chile powder

Once combined, rub directly into all sides of pork. Then add 1/2 cup water and 2 cups orange juice. Since I was working that day, I cooked this on low for 9 hours. You could also do high for 3 hours and then switch to low for another 3 hours, until meat falls off the bone. I transferred the meat to a serving dish and then shredded it. We served our tacos with onions, cilantro, radishes, and salsa from our favorite taco truck, Rancho Bravo.

Nice taco George!

The next day, when you realize you have pork leftovers for days, you roll some up in a tortilla, add cheese, microwave for about 30 seconds and you are in Heaven!

I love brownies. There's just something about a perfect little chocolate treat! I had ambitions to make churros, or margarita cupcakes, or some other festive dessert, but my real job got in the way of my baking dreams for the day. I decided to make a regular brownie more festive by adding cinnamon.

I like this brownie recipe because it is prepared in one bowl Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 pan. Grab your bowl and mix together:

1 cup sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup cocoa ( I used Hershey's)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 big spoonful peanut butter (totally optional, but I like adding it to my brownies)

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Bake for about 25 minutes. I decided to add more chocolate and cinnamon, so I melted about a cup of chocolate chips in the microwave. Spread that on top and sprinkle with more cinnamon! I thought the cinnamon added an interesting flavor. The brownies may have been slightly drier due to the extra cinnamon, but I still liked them!

All of these things are great for Cinco de Mayo, or any day! Fun meal, with little prep work, but it seems like you put in a lot of effort. Next year I'll make those churros!