California-Style Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

You can find this recipe at El Restaurante. 

Recipe and photo courtesy of California Milk Advisory Board (realcaliforniamilk.com)

Makes 1 casserole


The casserole:

12 corn tortillas

1 ½ to 2 c. prepared enchilada sauce

4 c. shredded Real California Mexican cheese blend or 1 cup each of shredded Real California Oaxaca, Real California Cheddar, Real California Jalapeño Jack and crumbled Real California Cotija cheeses*

1 c. roasted skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces tossed with about 2 teaspoons enchilada seasoning

1 c. canned pinto beans, drained well, seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin and garlic powder

1/3 c. each of canned kernel corn, sliced black olives, and mild green chilies, well drained

2 tablespoons of cilantro, minced mixed with 2 green onions, sliced


The cooking sauce:

2 eggs

½ t. salt

½ c. Real California half & half, milk or evaporated milk

½ c. Real California sour cream


Preheat oven to 350°F. Place all cooking sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside for use. Spray casserole dish with vegetable oil. Assemble first layer by spreading about 6 tablespoons of enchilada sauce on bottom of casserole. Top with 4 tortillas, overlapping them.

    Cover tortillas with 6 more tablespoons of enchilada sauce.

    Assemble second layer by mixing chicken with 3 cups of the shredded California cheese, reserving the one-cup of cheese for later use. Layer half this mixture over the tortillas. Set aside the other half of cheese-chicken mixture for another layer.

   For the third layer, spread the seasoned beans over the cheese-chicken layer.

   For the fourth layer, overlap 4 tortillas and cover with 6-8 more tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Cover with corn, olives and chilies. Top with remaining cheese-chicken mixture.

   For final layer, cover filling with 4 overlapping tortillas, then spread 6 tablespoons of enchilada sauce over them. Pour cooking sauce over casserole. Top these with remaining cup of shredded cheeses. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.

    Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove and rest for 10 minutes before cutting. If baking after setting in the refrigerator, allow an extra 10-15 minutes cooking time. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions and serve with lime wedges and sour cream.

*If you can't find Cotija, just increase by 1 cup the amount of other cheeses used.