The Gab Housewife Chronicles: Pastel Azteca

I had a breakfast to host last Saturday, a family reunion. The second Saturday of every month, the women from the family get together to talk and update on any matter, and this time it was my turn to host the breakfast. So I decided to make a "Pastel Azteca" casserole and serve it with Black Beans.

This is a very traditional Mexicso an dish. It involves different traditional Mexican food. I made this one with corn tortillas, but you can also use tamales (meat, beans, cheese, any!), I also used Rajas con Queso {Poblano Chile with Cheese}, but you can add corn, sour cream, nopales, and many other veggies. Also, I used a spicy sauce that I bought, but you can also prepare your own sauce, for example the Green Sauce recipe I shared with you.

I will share with you the recipe I used for my Pastel Azteca. It has many different ingredients, so you can either buy everything and try it out or you can use your leftovers. I prepared the Pastel Azteca for the reunion, but I also prepared one smaller for my husband and me.

You will need:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I use chicken breast because I love it, but you can also use tights and legs. they're juicier, and it will be less meat, so maybe you will need like 6 thights and 4-6 legs)
1/2 gal water (to cook the chicken)
Rajas con Queso (please see the recipe: 300 gr poblano chile slices, salt and pepper to taste, 300 gr Panela or fresh cheese, you could use mozzarella, 1 small onion, 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil)
1 bottle (300 gr) of spicy tomato sauce (I used Del Primo Molcajeteada Roja)
3 cups chicken broth (you can use the one that lefts when cooking the chicken breasts)
3 cups of pureed tomatoes
5 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, you can use Mexican blend, Chihuahua, Ranchero, Asadero, Manchego)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 Kg corn tortillas (around 20 or 25 tortillas)

For the chicken:

Place the chicken and the water in a deep pot and heat until it starts to boil.

Lower heat, cover and let it there for 25 minutes to 45 minutes, until the chicken is completely cooked. Reserve the chicken broth and take the chicken breasts to a bowl and let them cool, so it will be easier to shred.

Shred the chicken and reserve.

For the sauce: (remember, you can use the Green Sauce recipe I posted)

As my tomato puree was frozen, I placed it in a deep pot until it melted.

I left it there to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken broth and the sauce bottle, cook for 5 minutes covered on low heat and let it rest when done, with no heat.

For the Pastel Azteca:

So here I have the Rajas con Queso, the shredded chicken breasts, the spicy sauce, the sour cream, the corn tortillas, and the shredded cheese. I used a 9" X 13" baking casserole and a 9" X 5" loaf pan. We will go placing layer by layer as follows.

First, start with a layer of sauce, in the bottom of the pan.

Now, continue with a layer of tortillas. Try to leave no space between tortillas, so place one above the other.

Now, another layer of sauce.

Now, a layer of Rajas con Queso. You can follow the link and see how they are done.

Now, a layer of cheese and a layer of sour cream. You don't need to cover all in cream, because with the heat it will spread in all the surface. If you place a lot of cream, it will be full of calories and also very greasy and liquid-ish.

Now another layer of sauce and another one of tortillas. I forgot to take the picture of the sauce-before-the-tortillas, but make sure you always have sauce below and above the tortillas, so they will be wet and not dry.

Top with sauce.

Now add chicken. A lot.

Now, sauce and tortilla and sauce.

Plenty of cheese. This is the last layer. If your pan is deeper, you can add another layer of chicken if you want.

Now, place it in the oven for 20 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving. It will be more "servable" and less "liquid-ish".