Enchilada Lasagna

For approx. 6 -- 13-by-9 baking dish or two smaller dishes.

Sauce:
2 dried chipotles, stems and seeds removed, diced (or two fresh jalapenos)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2½ tsp chili powder
1½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground (or use ground cumin)
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups tomato sauce
pinch salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Filling:
1 pound boneless chicken, cubed
1 large onion, diced
pinch salt
1 larg clove garlic, minced
½ tsp dried oregano

12-18 corn tortillas
3 cups Monterey Jack, shredded

Combine sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Saute chicken in skillet until cooked through. Remove. Saute onions with salt on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cook 3 minutes more. Mix in chicken and remove from heat.

Grease glass baking dish(es) and assemble:
1 cup sauce spread over bottom
Dip 4 tortillas into remaining sauce and form a layer -- cut into halves as necessary.
Half the chicken mixture.
1 cup cheese.
Repeat tortillas, chicken, cheese.
Repeat tortillas.
Pour remaining sauce over, and top with cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes covered with foil; uncover and bake 10 more minutes.

(From Alton Brown's Good Eats. GEFP summary; GEFP transcript)

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I got this one from a New Mexico green chile promotion at Nob Hill Foods. Careful, though: it takes a lot more green chiles than you might expect to yield two cups. My three medium chiles, once roasted and peeled, yielded about half a cup. Improvise by adding jalapeños if, like me, you fall short.

Makes 6–8 portions.

• 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used 2 bone-in rib-in breast portions, poached, which was plenty)
• 2 cups roasted, peeled, and chopped New Mexico green chile (about 12; could probably substitute 4 green bell peppers and add jalapeños to up the heat)
• 1 26 fl.oz. can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
• 26 fl. oz. milk (measure using the empty can)
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• green jalapeños to taste, chopped (seeds in or out to taste; I used 4, seeds out, but would leave them in next time)
• ground pepper to taste
• 10–15 corn tortillas, torn into quarters

Fry onions, garlic, jalapenos in a large saucepan until soft. Add soup, milk, chile, pepper, bring to a simmer, and remove from heat.

Layer sauce, tortillas, cheese in casserole dish. (I found this made too much for my 13"x9" pan and had to overflow into a second dish; no big problem, can freeze the excess uncooked.)

Bake at 350°F, 20 minutes covered followed by 20 minutes uncovered.

(From a New Mexico Department of Agriculture promotion; more recipes, although not this one, at their website.)