Cheesy Enchilada Skillet
Cast iron cooking goes south in all the right ways.
Mexican food and my cast iron paired together — could it get any better? The flavours in this skillet dish are beyond fresh, and there are so many gorgeous colours brought together that I couldn’t help but feature them before sharing the delicious results below. Look out Taco Tuesday!
I’m all about recipe tweaks, but an absolute must for this dish is the freshly made corn tortillas. I’ve provided some pics below of my go-to flour and tortilla maker so you know what to look for if you’re buying supplies. I promise, once you make your own you’ll never use store-bought ever again. — CFG
Ingredients:
4 fresh corn tortillas, torn into medium-sized pieces
1/2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, avocado, etc.)
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp neutral oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups pico de gallo salsa, excess liquid drained
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
1 (15.5oz) can black beans, drained, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped (reserve a few pinches)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I use a sharp cheddar, smoked Gouda and Monterey Jack blend)
Optional extras:
jalapeños, sliced (fresh or pickled)
pickled banana peppers
canned green chilis
canned chipotle peppers, sliced
crumbled bacon, cooked
black/green pitted olives
guacamole (for serving)
pico de gallo (for serving)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a small mixing bowl add 2-3 cups of shredded cooked chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of cumin (depending on how much chicken you use). Hand toss until fully mixed and set aside.
If making fresh tortillas, prepare according to notes below. Once tortillas are prepared, add 1/2 tbsp of a neutral cooking oil (vegetable, avocado, etc.) and cook in a 10” cast iron skillet on medium-low heat (1-2 minutes each side), then set aside on a cooling rack.
Add 1 tbsp of oil in the skillet and 1/2 cup of chopped red onions, 1/2 tsp of salt, and cook over medium heat until the onions become translucent but not brown. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1 tsp of ground cumin, and mix until fully incorporated (~1 min). Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl add 1/2 cup of sour cream, sliced chipotle peppers (optional), 2 cups of pico de gallo/salsa with the excess liquid drained and mix together. Next, add in the shredded chicken, cooked onion mixture, and black beans. Fold ingredients together until fully mixed.
Tear corn tortillas into medium-sized pieces (about one-third the size of your palm) and add to the mixture along with 1/3 cup of finely chopped parsley/cilantro, reserving a few pinches for garnish. Add any other optional extras and fold ingredients together one more time.
Return the mixture to the cast iron and sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese over the top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for ~10-15 minutes or until everything is warmed through. Set the oven to broil and continue baking for ~3-5 min or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Remove from oven, top with reserved parsley/cilantro, and serve with extra portions of sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes for making fresh tortillas:
Note: For this recipe I halve the standard Maseca® directions to create 4 large tortillas.
Combine 1 cup of flour with 1/8 tsp of salt and ~2/3 cup of water.
Mix with your hands to form a soft dough. If the dough feels dry, add 1 tbsp of water at a time and continue mixing until the soft dough takes shape. Form into 4 large balls and cover directly with a wet cloth
Flatten the tortillas using a tortilla press and keep covered with a wet cloth until you are ready to cook them. (See step 2 above.)
You can find this corn flour at just about any grocery store, but it’s often a toss-up where to find it — try the Mexican food section, down the baking aisle, or in the world/ethnic food sections.
Quick tip — Keep this flour in the freezer! Once it goes stale the flavour is ruined.
Tortilla makers are an awesome tool to have!
Quick tip — Wrap the top/bottom with cellophane so you can easily peel the pressed tortilla dough off the plate without tearing it.
