Chicken Tortilla Casserole

 
Painting

  • 2 large chicken breasts w/skin and bone
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbls. olive or canola oil
  • 1 can chopped green chilies
  • 1 sm. bottle of pimentos
  • ½ cup chopped black olives, optional
  • 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup, undiluted
  • 1 can Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted
  • ½ lb. + 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ½ lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 1 dozen corn tortillas
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper, optional

Boil chicken breasts in a heavy pot with water, bay leaves, salt and pepper until done. Cool slightly. Cut and pull the meat into very small pieces, carefully removing all bones. Reserve 1 cup of the chicken broth. Sauté onion in oil. Don’t overcook. Add chicken broth, both cans of soup, green chilies, pimentos, black olives, Velveeta cubes and black pepper to taste. Stir over low heat until cheese melts. Butter a medium casserole dish. Line the bottom and sides with corn tortillas. Layer chicken pieces, shredded cheddar and cheese sauce. Add more tortillas and continue layering until all ingredients, except one cup of shredded cheddar cheese, are used. Finish with sauce. Cover top with remaining cheddar. Bake at 350-degrees until bubbly.

Comment:  My mother, Vivian Woods-Myrick has been making this casserole for almost as long as the Israelites wandered in the desert. Everyone thinks it’s yummy!

Comment:  Vivian suggests using a shallow glass pan for the casserole to distribute the heat better.

 

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