Enchilada Lasagna

I'd like to share a secret recipe that has been in my family for many years.

10 years to be exact. 

During my first year of University waaaaaaay back in 2001, my friend Fiona (hi Fi!) came home with me for spring break and taught my family how to make enchiladas, the real Mexican way. 

Well since then, after a few adaptations due to ingredient unavailability, and general preference, it has kind of morphed into a different dish all together. 

Don't get me wrong, the flavors are all still there, but it looks...slightly, er, different.  More like lasagna.  For some reason, in a country where portion sizes are constantly getting bigger, I was shocked to find out that the corn tortillas have shrunk to nearly half the size they used to be.  So gone are the days of being able to make proper enchiladas.  Of all the things to shrink, why couldn't they have picked something more useful, like making the buttermilk carton the size of a cup, which is the only measurement you'll ever need for a recipe.

Ok, enough about my rant.  Here's the recipe:

Enchilada Lasagna

2-3 chicken breasts
garlic powder
seasoning salt
cayenne pepper
12 corn tortillas
1 - 28oz  can of green enchilada sauce
9 x 9 inch baking dish
2 cups of shredded mexican cheese, or 1 - 8oz package of queso fresco.  Your choice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1) Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, seasoning salt, and cayenne pepper (or any other seasonings you want to use) and microwave them (trust me here) for about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the meat) until they are mostly cooked.  Cut into small, bite size pieces.

2) In a small pan, warm a tortilla until its soft, about 30 seconds to a minute on each side.  Tongs are an acceptable tool to use here. 

3) Dip the warm tortilla in some of the enchilada sauce (I use another pan) and put it in the baking dish.  Repeat 3 more times.

4) Put half the chicken, and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the tortillas.  Then pour some of the sauce over so the layer is a bit covered, like below:

Take 4 more tortillas and repeat steps 2-4 above.

Take 4 more tortillas, warm them, dip them and put them over the top.  Then pour the remainder of the sauce and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.

Pop it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

And there you have it.  Enchilada Lasagna.  Enjoy!