Chicken Tomatillo Casserole
The best American name for this vegetable would probably be “Mexican green tomato”, but they actually taste nothing like regular tomatoes, In fact, the tomatillo is not a tomato at all. The tomatillo has a tart, lemony flavor that is enhance when cooked (especially roasted)and is an excellent base for salsas. While salsa (salsa verde) is the most popular way to enjoy tomatillo, they can be used in other ways. Tomatillos contain high amounts of vitamin A&C. Tomatillos are our #2 sales item!
Ingredients:
1 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 sliced jalapeno
2 cups chopped chicken
1/2 cup green onions, sliced (whites and light greens only)
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
1 heaping tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp (each) salt and pepper
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
8 to 9 corn tortillas (depending on the shape of your dish)
Instructions:
For the tomatillos, if you are not using canned tomatillos, roughly chop the tomatillos and place them in a small saucepan with enough chicken broth to just cover them. Simmer them for approximately 20 minutes or until they are well cooked and totally softened. Strain off enough of the cooking liquid so that you are left with about 1-⅓ cups of tomatillos. Set aside.
Cook and chop the chicken. I used 2 large breasts that I had brined for 30 minutes in ½ gallon of water in which I had dissolved ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup salt. I sliced the chicken and cooked it on a grill pan until done. You can also use chicken tenders. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the chicken, ½ cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, the Parmesan cheese, green onions, chili powder, salt and pepper. In another small bowl, combine the green chilies, tomatillos, sour cream, and milk. Use an immersion blender to process it until smooth. You can also use a food processor or regular blender.
To assemble, pour ½ cup of the tomatillo sauce in the bottom of a 9” x 9” baking dish and spread it around. Place one layer of corn tortillas on top of the sauce. Place ½ of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas. Place another layer of tortillas on top of the chicken. Then spread the remainder of the chicken and one top layer of tortillas. Pour all of the remaining sauce on the top, making sure it goes down the sides and between cracks. I even poked a few holes in the middle of the top with a fork to make sure it permeated the whole casserole. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
To repeat, the layers go from bottom to top like this: sauce, tortillas, chicken, tortillas, chicken, tortillas, sauce, and cheese. Let the dish sit for about 10 minutes so that the sauce soaks in a bit before baking it.
Bake the casserole at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until it is nice and bubbly and hot. Let it stand for at least 5 minutes after you remove it from the oven.
Adapted from themeaningofpie.com