Mexican Tortilla Casserole (Pastel Azteca)

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo every day with this traditional dish which would be the Mexican cousin of lasagna. It’s very simple to prepare but delicious and ideal for a big family dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of corn tortillas
• 3 green tomatoes (tomatillo)
• 2 red tomatoes
• 1 pound of cooked chicken breast
• 1 jalapeño pepper (optional)
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 large onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro (washed)
• 2 tbsp. of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 500 gr of mozzarella cheese
• Sour cream (for decoration)

Preparation:

• In a medium add water and set it to a boil.
  Once it starts boiling add the tomatoes, 1 onion, the garlic cloves, and the jalapeño (if you want it spicy).
• Let everything boil for 5 minutes.
  Remove everything from the water and add them to a blender with 3/4 cup of the water where they boiled.
  Add the cilantro, and season with salt and pepper.
  Empty the pot with the water then warm some canola oil on it, once oil is hot add all the blended sauce and let it boil for another 5 minutes.
• Rectify seasoning, then let it cool down and reserve.

• In a large frying pan, add 1 onion and the bell peppers chopped finely. Once they are cooked add the chicken breast meat shredded, and cook at medium heat until all ingredients are well integrated. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper, you can add 1 tablespoon of chicken broth powder for extra flavor. Set aside.
• In a deep baking dish, spread some of the green sauce on the bottom, then cover it with the tortillas (you can cut them to fit better the container).
  

• Then add a layer of the chicken mixed with the peppers/onion, add more sauce on top, then add a layer of shredded cheese, add another layer of tortillas then repeat the process until the baking dish is almost full (don’t overfill it).
  Finish the last layer with some sauce and cheese on top.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350 F.
  Bake it for 35 minutes, then finish it on broil for 2 minutes to make the cheese on top crispy.

• Remove from the oven and let it cool 10 minutes before serving.
  Serve with some sour cream on top.