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New Mexican Hot Dish
![New Mexican Hot Dish](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/02/17/dining/17NORECIPE-BEEF-ENCHILADAS/merlin_147762108_51b0b888-c346-4824-8c69-59bb56b7db62-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
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Cooking Notes
Well, I just came from a grocery store that looks like it was strip mined, so I will eat anything at this point. The comments about processed cheese deserve a response. It’s poor people’s food. It appeared in the “relief” food boxes when I was a kid in West Virginia. Now I live in California, and I know plenty of Mexicans who cook with it. It can survive without refrigeration, and it melts nicely. Don’t knock it. It’s the staff of life for some folks.
I used a red onion that was sprouting shoots off the end, a red pepper whose skin was wrinkly, an Amy's veggie burger that was in my freezer since last summer, some sad spinach, a jalapeno, cumin, and oregano. Layered this sauteed mix with corn tortillas, canned enchilada sauce, and some chalky pre-shredded "Mexican-style" cheese. Baked at 425 for 20 minutes. It was a dinner fit for a queen.
To make it more New Mexican which I like, I would use can of Hatch Enchilada sauce either green or red instead of can tomatoes.
Place the tortillas on a cookie sheet as your oven heats up - spray some oil on if you want - then they'll soften up and be ready for the casserole. Oh, and skip the beef and use beans - refried or whole. Black, pinto whatever! Got chile, red peppers, corn or zucchini on hand - add it.
Use hatch green chilie instead that's what we use in new mexico
I'm going to cook this for my wife and hope she thinks I'm a hot dish.
Horrors! Gee, I have made this dish years ago but used corn tortilla chips in place of the fresh tortillas. Heck, yes and I now use pre-shredded Cheddar that I get at my local supermarket! Ain't got time for all of that tomfoolery.
Put a fried egg on top for New Mexico authenticity.
Olive oil, 1 lb grnd beef, 2 sm ons, 2 jala, 4 sm clv garlic, 2 TB flour, generous pinch salt, 1 ts chili powder, 1 ts oregano, 1/2 ts cumin, 2 med tomatoes, 1/3 cup water, corn tortillas, cheddar and American cheese. Cook timely & water will pull up flour that sticks to pan when cooking beef. Served with salsa and sour cream, also be good with cilantro, lime & avocado. Small square casserole. Could be a bit more spicy but slightly warm is probably good. Try Colby, Mont jack in future.
Even a slice of American cheese added to other cheese will improve the meltiness w/out really affecting the flavor. It's because they put sodium citrate in American. Samin Nosrat did a whole thing about this on Home Cooking. You can also do what she does and buy sodium citrate and just add a pinch to whatever elegant cheese you choose and it'll melt like a dream - no separation or clumping. That's what Samin says.
Used a can of the Rotel tomatoes and chilis in lieu of adding tomatoes and jalapenos. Drained (most of) the water, added with the chopped onion. Easy and tasty and perfect for a busy weeknight.
New Mexican cooks do use ground beef, both in their green and red chile sauces and in their enchiladas. I’ve lived in either southern or northern NM my while life, and while home cooks make variations, the cheese is normally yellow. The tortillas are always corn. They don’t use anything besides Monterrey jack, Colby, or mild cheddar. However, like any home cooking, individual cooks make variations!
Used shredded rotisserie chicken, a jar of "535 Roasted Green Chiles", a can of "Hatch Green Enchilada Sauce" sauteed white onions, queso fresco cheese and larger flour tortillas. I layered the mixture with the tortillas in an enamel cast iron dutch oven and added crumbled cheese to the penultimate and final layer. Since the mixture was already hot, I cooked in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese because I didn't want soggy tortillas. So tasty and so easy to make!
My mom made this years and years ago and she called it Mexican casserole. She used Fritos corn chips, Old El Paso Chile con carne, Velveeta cheese and pinto beans. Sour cream was baked on the top and her fancy schmancy touch was to sprinkle sliced green olives over the finished dish. She was from north east Texas and this recipe came from her people. It made for many happy dinners.
I have been cooking a similar dish for twenty years or more. I like to use different ingredients in all but the top and bottom layer for example: black beans, chopped green chiles, spinach or sour cream.
The people who say no to American cheese or ground beef are merely voicing their preferences, however, my family hails from Northern NM and southern Colorado, around Raton, NM through Huerfano County, Colorado and they all have used either ground beef or shredded beef, there is no right or wrong. Depends on how much time in the day you have to cook the beef. Also, a blend of American cheese (a Depression era food) and cheddar/Colby/Monterey Jack have been used for decades by many people. Delish.
Sam, thx. Fun, tasty dish.
Really enjoying reading the notes from 2020 when we were all doing our best with limited goods.
This has become a regular in our house! Love it. Thanks, Sam! I like to serve it with iceberg lettuce, diced raw white onion, sour cream/Greek yogurt, and hot sauce.
I made this last night for an easy Friday supper. Here's what I did to serve 2, I followed the steps above: 3/4 lb ground turkey (not breast) about 1 c. of good crushed tomatoes 1/2 a lg yellow onion, plus half a shallot; and 4 cloves garlic, microplaned, 1/2 red bell pepper. Didn't have chili powder, used 1T ground cumin, 1Tpaprika, some Old Bay & 1/2 t cayenne. Sprinkled 1/2 c. each Cabot Creamery Seriously Sharp Cheddar & Galbani block Mozzerella (melts nicely) and 2 corn tortillas. Loved
I have made this over and over, and never had a disappointment. It's simple to make, delicious to eat, won't break the budget, beloved by all ages. I like to add some raw onion and black olives to the layers. Or sprinkle on top. Whatever I'm in the mood for.
This is the first “no recipe recipe” dish I have tried and would hesitate before trying again. The lack of amounts for many ingredients led to a very dry, tasteless and inedible dish.
I’ve made a similar dish but I add black beans and sweet red pepper to the meat mixture. I usually use Monterrey jack cheese but occasionally cheddar. New Mexico red chile powder spices it up nicely.
Use mid stove griddle to heat several tortillas at a time
Made this vegetarian with tofu instead of beef. Added a can of black beans, a can of fire roasted tomatoes. Some carrot and red pepper… all made for a delicious tortilla casserole.
Like this one. It's for ppl who've made many enchiladas, so those who have not, I'd recommend reviewing an ingredient list from an enchilada recipe to make sure you nail this. Did use enchilada sauce and put in a 9x12 pan. For me, it would fall flat without enchilada sauce. Sam mentions it but I suspect many miss it as he only points it out when stating to sauce under the first layer of tortillas. My own personal twist- I like to be healthy- added black beans & kale, chopped in a layer w cheese.
Used corningware big lasagna dish. 2 cans flavored diced tomatoes. One packet of shred cheese. 6 tortillas each layer, two layers. Cook 20-30 minutes
I m as de the New Mexican Hot Dish for my book group. It was a big hit. They liked it more than they did the book.
Added can of Hatch chilles, black olives, 15oz dice tomatoes, chipotle & chilli powder, used cheddar & Monterey Jack
Added can of Hatch chilles, black olives, Chipotle & chili powder, used white cheddar & Monterey Jack cheese
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