Tomatillo Enchilasagna

My husband and I frequent the same Mexican restaurant probably every 2 weeks and I always get the same thing, the quesadilla.  It never lets me down and it’s always so delicious that I often consider ordering two.  I am going to make a bold statement and say, yes I love Mexican food but I have a strong dislike for tacos.  I find the corn tortillas to just be kind of textureless and unappealing.  I often get crazy looks when I make this statement, but I am sticking by it.  Whatever my dislike for corn tortillas in a taco is, I don’t have a problem with enchiladas.  I am pretty sure it’s because of all the melty gooey cheese that the enchilada and the quesadilla both have and the taco does not. 

In the last couple of years, I have seen many recipes for what I like to call the “lazy person’s enchilada” better known as the Enchilasagna, which is essentially a layered enchilada casserole. I prefer a green sauce on my enchiladas, so I decided to create a raw tomatillo sauce, which has the beautiful tangy sweetness that balances all that glorious melting cheese. I also decided to use chicken thighs instead of breasts so the chicken would stay nice and juicy.  This enchilasagna is really quite easy and the most time consuming thing is poaching the chicken.  This recipe can be changed in so many ways to fit your personal needs, so make this exactly as is or switch things up and make it your own.  Anyway you have it, it’s a layered casserole that feeds the whole family and that’s never a bad thing.

Tomatillo Enchilasagna 

Serving Size: 4

Time To Prep (mm): 45 minutes 

Time To Cook (mm): 1 hour 

Special Kitchen Equipment Required: Blender 

Technique Tip: Utilizing the stems in your poaching liquid is a great way to not waste any part of the cilantro herb.

Swap Option: You can substitute chicken thighs for chicken breasts or even use a rotisserie chicken 

Why I Love This Recipe: It is the lazy person’s cheat for enchiladas, so much easier to layer than rolling each tortilla with filling individually. 

Ingredients (listed)

Tomatillo sauce 

• 2 lbs tomatillos, husked and quartered 

• ¼ c lime juice 

• 1 ½ t kosher salt

• 1 whole jalapeno (remove seeds if you prefer less spicy) 

• ½ c cilantro leaves 

• 2 garlic cloves 

Poached chicken 

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 

• 1 (15oz) can chicken broth

• 2 ½ c water

• 2 t cumin seeds

• Juice of 1 lime 

• Handful cilantro stems

• ½  white onion 

• 2 t kosher salt 

• 6 corn tortillas 

• 12oz Oaxaca cheese (or Mozzarella), shredded 

• Optional toppings: Guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, pickled jalapenos and red onions

Recipe Steps (listed) 

1. In a blender, add all ingredients for tomatillo sauce. Blend until pureed. Set aside.

2. In a high sided saute pan or dutch oven add all ingredients for poached chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-18 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken, let cool and then shred. 

3. Preheat the oven to 375F. 

4. In an oval casserole, spread ⅓ of the sauce on the bottom. Next layer 2 tortillas followed by ½ of the chicken. Top with ⅓ of the shredded cheese followed by another layer of sauce.  Continue for the next layer and then finish with tortillas and rest of sauce.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. 

5. Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Top with the last ⅓ of the cheese. Cook for 20 minutes more or until cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling.