Pastel Azteca Recipe
Jump to RecipeThis Pastel Azteca Recipe, a traditional Mexican dish, shares striking similarities to lasagna. Hence, it receives various names, such as Mexican Lasagna or Tortilla Casserole. The recipe may call for different ingredients that vary depending on the region. For instance, this Pastel Azteca consists of salsa verde, poblano peppers, cheese, chicken, and tortillas as the main ingredients.
Pastel azteca serves as a versatile dish, suitable for both main courses and appetizers. It, literately, is a complete meal that doesn’t require anything else to go with it. Although, a nice cup of Cafe de Olla next to it sounds appealing, or whatever beverage you prefer.
Ingredients layering
The layering on this Pastel Azteca recipe creates a flavorful and textured dish, with the crispy tortillas providing a contrast to the soft, creamy cheese, and rich meat and vegetables. Once you bite into it, the combination of softness and crispiness will be noticeable. It not only makes it appealing, but also satisfying to eat.
Baked Pastel Azteca
Baking offers another great advantage in this delicious Pastel Azteca recipe, making it easier to achieve success and saving you the hassle of manual cooking. This convenience, in turn, makes the recipe accessible to cooks of varying skill levels. Plus, the golden-brown crust that forms on top is simply irresistible, adding a delightful textural element to the cheese on top.
Easy to Follow Recipe Video
Below is my easy to follow video tutorial on how to make this gorgeous recipe. It will teach you every step to make sure your recipe comes out on point. You can also find the video down in the recipe card.
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Pastel Azteca Recipe
12
servings25
minutes40
minutes15
Minutes1
hour5
minutesPastel Azteca is one of those recipes that allows you to serve your family a delicious meal in single baking dish. It’s such a cheesy, creamy and flavorful casserole; it will please even the critics (if there was any.) This is a true version of lasagna. All that cheese, combined with the roasted poblano peppers and the fried tortillas make it a dish to remember!
Ingredients
Salsa Verde
1 lb tomatillos
3 ea jalapeño peppers
8 ea poblano peppers
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
1/2 bunch cilantro, fresh
Chicken Filling
2 TBSP avocado oil
3 ea corn on the cob
1 ea white onion, diced
4 ea garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp Mexican oregano, dry
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
Salt to taste
Cheese
1 1/2 cups Mexican cream
2 cups requesón or ricotta cheese
24 oz Oaxaca cheese, grated
Additional ingredients
28 ea corn tortillas
Avocado oil for pan-frying
Non-stick baking spray
Directions
- Salsa verde : Place a comal or cast iron over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, roast the poblano peppers, jalapeños, and tomatillos until charred (blackened) all around. When ready transfer the peppers into a bowl and keep covered with plastic wrap. Allow them to sweat for about 10-15 minutes. As for the roasted/cooked tomatillos, place on a dish and allow them to cool down. Once the skin of the peppers has loosened, feel it off. Then, cut open to remove the seeds and stem. (Note – For an added kick of heat, feel free to leave the seeds and veins on as many peppers as you like. )
- Slice six of the poblanos into strips (rajas) and set aside until needed. Transfers the other two poblanos into a blender with the jalapeños, tomatillos, cilantro and broth. Cover and blend until completely smooth. Set aside until needed.
- Chicken Filling: With a knife remove the corn kernels from the cobs. Place a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Pour in the oil. Once hot, sauté the corn until slightly softened. Then, add the onion and also sauté until slightly softened. Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano. After cooking them for one minute, pour in the green salsa. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, lower to medium-low and let it cook on a gentle simmer for about 8 minutes or until slightly thickened. Mix in the salt and chicken. Turn off the heat and set aside to slightly cool down.
- Corn tortillas: In a large pan, heat enough avocado oil for pan frying. Once hot, lightly fry each tortilla just until pliable (don’t let them brown or crisp up.) It should only take a few seconds per side. Transfer onto a dish and continue frying the rest.
- Cheesy cream: in a medium bowl combine the requesón cheese and Mexican cream. Using a spatula stir/fold them together. A few lumps here and there are ok. PREHEAT the oven to 350 F.
- Grab a 10×13 baking dish (handles not included in measurement) : Spray the bottom with non-stick baking spray. The assembly will consist of three layers. All the components will need to be divided into three equal portions.
- Assembly: Using a paper towel, pat dry any excess oil from the tortillas. Then, using 8-9 tortillas, cover the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the requesón mix evenly across. Now the chicken filling and then, the sliced poblano peppers. Lastly, sprinkle the Oaxaca cheese all over the surface. Following the same steps, assemble the remainder two layers.
- Bake: When you have finished topping it off with the last portion of Oaxaca cheese, place in the oven for 20 minutes. Once the cheese has melted, turn on the broiler to develop a few brown spots. Using oven mitts, remove from the oven. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it. Serve and enjoy!!!
