Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Roasted Green Chile Tortilla Stacks

When I was a child, my mom had a quick and simple dinner that she sometimes served to us kids as a special treat. It was nothing more than a ground beef, soup and green chile mixture piled on top of a tortilla, topped with cheese and broiled until crisp. She didn't make it often, but oh, how we loved it! I had been thinking about cooking it up myself recently, so when I was offered the chance to try out the Mrs. Anderson's Baking Mat from the Harold Import Company, I decided that this would be the perfect time to play around and put my own spin on an old childhood favorite! I did search around online a bit to see if anyone else out there was familiar with this dish and I didn't really find much. I did find one recipe that I liked, which added a layer of beans and made these "stacks" a little more filling. So, I combined the online recipe with my mom's old recipe and made some changes of my own. The result is a tasty updated Tortilla Stack. It can be served as an appetizer or a main course, and it's pretty fun to make!

Roasted Green Chile Tortilla Stacks
by Chris
(Serves 8 as a main course, many more as an appetizer)
Adapted from "Spicy Tortilla Stack" by Countdown Grocery

3 cups cooked and diced/shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken works well)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 packet Sazon seasoning
1 cup diced green chiles (I used Hatches that I had frozen, but canned will work as well)
1 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
4 Tablespoons cream of celery soup, undiluted (from one 10.5 oz can)
2 16-ounce cans refried black beans (or 3-3 1/2 cups, if making your own)
1 teaspoon garlic salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin (or to taste)
2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco (or to taste)
16 flour tortillas, fajita size (6.5")
1 bag Monterey jack cheese, shredded (12-16 ounces)
About 1/4 cup of a tart vinaigrette (I simply used a store-bought lime vinaigrette)
Sriracha, for drizzling
About 1/2 cup of sour cream mixed w/Sriracha (to taste)
Extra sour cream (plain) and sliced black olives, for serving (optional but recommended)

Place the diced chicken in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Add the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and the packet of Sazon. Mix well, using your hands. Remove as much air as possible, turn to coat, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use (this can be done ahead of time, up to 24 hours before cooking.)

Drain as much liquid as possible from the chiles. I strained mine in a small mesh sieve and then blotted with paper towels. When fairly dry, set aside with the diced onion. Set out the marinated chicken, if it is in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and place onions and peppers on the Roasting Mat. Roast for 5 minutes. At 5 minutes, use a spatula to stir the mixture and continue roasting for 5 minutes more (10 minutes total.)

When the peppers and onions are done, scrape off of the mat and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on at 375°F. Wipe the mat with a damp towel, in order to remove any blackened bits. Place the chicken on the mat, spread into a single layer, and put into the oven for 5 minutes. Again, stir with a spatula and cook for 5 minutes more (10 minutes total.) Set aside to cool. Wipe the mat clean.

Combine the onion and chile mixture with the cooled chicken and add the soup. This should resemble a chicken salad in texture. Set aside.

Combine the beans, garlic salt, cumin and hot sauce in a separate bowl. Again, set aside.

To assemble the tortilla stacks, simply place one tortilla onto a plate (Be sure to spread each layer almost to the edge, but do leave a small section uncovered, as this will make them easier to handle and eat!) Top the tortilla with about 2 Tablespoons of black beans and 1 Tablespoon of cheese. Place another tortilla on top of the bean and cheese layer, and add about 3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Top with more cheese if desired. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and a little Sriracha. Repeat until you have made as many stacks as you want. Heat the oven to 350°F, using the convection setting if possible. Bake on a Mrs. Anderson's Baking Mat from Harold Import Company for 10 minutes. Add more cheese if wanted. Dollop with Sriracha sour cream and top with olives. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Cut into wedges and serve with extra sour cream on the side, if desired.

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