The Mexican Casserole Experiment

As I write, my first ever layered Mexican casserole is setting on the stove waiting for the asparagus to get hot so I can go try some. Of course, the asparagus was hot by the time I got done typing that sentence. So, I have returned, no longer hungry and VERY happy my foodie experiment turned out so well!!


It's not that I didn't go looking for ideas online. I knew you could make layered casseroles using tortillas and other assorted wet ingredients, but I had never done it and wasn't sure what I had on hand would work as well as all the recipes I was finding claimed theirs would. But, there is only one way to find out, right?


I took out my round glass baking dish. Almost the same diameter as the tortillas I had on hand. Then I got a bowl out and shredded Monterey Jack cheese and Extra Sharp White Cheddar into it (approximately 6 oz. total). I added a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, a 12 oz. can of white chunk chicken, drained, that I had already shredded, a can of cream of celery soup and maybe a half cup of salsa. The recipes I had looked at called for a couple cans of cream of chicken or mushroom soup and maybe a cup of chicken broth, but I just mixed it all together the way I had it with no extra liquid. It's a good thing I did!!


I placed the first flour tortilla in the bottom of the bowl and spread a portion of the chicken mixture on top of that. I had pressed the tortilla down to be sure it was firmly planted. No, I didn't spray Pam first. Then I pressed in the next tortilla firmly on top of that followed by more chicken mix. I repeated this until there were no more tortillas (the bag wasn't full). The remaining chicken mix went on top. For appearance, I spread a bit of the salsa over the top (I'm guessing maybe 2-3 Tbsp) followed by a bit more grated cheese that I grated directly on top and then spread evenly by hand. I put the baking dish in the oven, turned it on 350 and came in to play online. Thirty minutes later, I put the asparagus on and turned off the oven. I put the casserole on top of the stove so it could set while the asparagus heated. And, that's where we were when I began this entry.


I went out and found our old RC Willey ice cream scoop out (it's a flat one that was given to me by a furniture store out in Utah) and used it as my spatula. I cut myself a wedge and scooped it out onto my plate. There was so much liquid in this and I didn't even put in the liquid most recipes called for! But, WOW! Is it ever good!!! I can't believe it took me this many years to try doing this! 


I am disappointed in the asparagus, though. Sure, the flavor is good. But, they filled the can with mostly woody stem pieces, so there was more chewing to get the flavor than there was actual eating of the asparagus. I've decided what's left will be used to make asparagus soup. I can blend it to mince it up after I've made the soup. I do like the veggie, but I've never been a fan of the woody stems. 


Anyway, I would definitely recommend trying this. In a way, it's like Mexican lasagna, but only in construction. You can do these with hamburger, but I had this can of chicken I'd hoped to use and decided to try it with that. I'm very happy with the results!!

Ahhhhhh.....Comfort Food!

How many of us still enjoy the deliciousness that is Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup?? All that melted cheese inside that buttery toasted bread just inviting you to dunk it into that bowl of creamy tomato soup sitting nearby! Doesn't it make your mouth drool? Or at least generate a bit of a tummy growl?

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons. I prefer white American, but I'd eat this in a heartbeat!!

Were you aware that there is a Mexican cousin to this wonderful comfort cuisine? Heck yeah! It is called a Quesadilla and usually uses Mexican cheeses (or cheddar and Monterey Jack) inside one or two tortillas. It is often served with salsa and sour cream. Sometimes it even has spicy grilled meats and veggies inside with the cheese for an even finer dining experience.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Today, I really wanted something cheesy (to match my personality, naturally), but didn't have any more bread or tomato soup. What to do, what to do?!? AHA! Tortillas in the fridge! An already opened package of Monterey Jack!! And plenty of salsa and sour cream just BEGGING to be consumed!! Foodie Utopia!! (Or would that be FOODTOPIA???)

Get Off Mi Quesadilla

I got my tortillas out, my cheese, the salsa and sour cream, and pulled my griddle out of its isolation in the stairwell and went to work. I placed one tortilla on the griddle. I then sliced the cheese to cover the tortilla (leave space on the edges - melted cheese will spread). I debated putting the salsa on top, but opted out of that. I turned the fire on under the pan and placed the second tortilla on top. No need to butter these. They really won't stick. They just need to be browned and then flipped over to brown the other side. Once the cheese is melted and the tortillas browned and blistered, lift your quesadilla out and place it on your plate (in my case, a paper one. This is CASUAL dining.) Now cut into wedges just like you would a pizza. In fact, you can use a pizza cutter to do this (although I have no idea where mine is). I mixed my salsa and sour cream together which resulted in a coloring not unlike that creamy tomato soup you see above and sat down next to my beloved laptop and thoroughly enjoyed my lunch, dunking each quesadilla wedge into the creamy salsa mix much as I would a grilled cheese into tomato soup. 

Venezuelan Quesadillas - Wikipedia Commons

This is something anyone could enjoy, even those who are overly skeptical about eating "foreign" foods. All I can say to that is "What the heck do you think spaghetti and pizza are!!" There isn't anything we eat that didn't originate in some way somewhere else!! And, a quesadilla is a very benign way to begin. 

Mexican Food Show

Another good Mexican food to try, especially if you LOVE grilled meats and veggies, is a fajita. There is nothing more wonderful than the smell of that meat and those veggies (peppers and onions) being laid out in front of you with fresh shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese to go with inside tortillas, also hot and steaming. Of course, if you're really stodgy, just eat everything the way you would eat anything else. Eat the tortillas as a bread and the lettuce and tomatoes as a salad and the grilled meat and veggies as a platter. I'm telling you, you won't regret a single bite, no matter how you try it!! Great for low carb diets, too!

I'd leave off the pico (the fresh diced tomatoes, peppers and onions), but the rest looks great! Wikimedia Commons