The perfect balance of cheese, tortillas, salsa and vegetables are what make this pastel azteca(layered enchiladas) delicious! Oh and that creamy jocoque-style sauce is a must try!
Course Main Course, Meatless
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Ingredients
Ingredients
2tablespoonsolive oil
1large poblanosliced into strips
1red bell peppersliced into strips
1medium white onionsliced into strips
4clovesgarlicminced
1jalapeñored fresno or serrano, minced
2ears of fresh corn
1teaspoonMexican oreganocrushed
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
For Salsa de Mesa
3roma tomatosliced in half or quartered
1/4sweet onion
1 to 2clovesgarlic
1 to 2serrano peppers or red fresnoroughly chopped
Pinchof oregano
salt to taste
*You could add some lime to the salsabut I did not this time
For White Sour Cream Sauce (Jocoque)
4cupsof JocoqueOr 2 cups of sour cream and 2 cups of buttermilk combined
1/2cupcotija or queso fresco cheesecrumbled ( I added some extra jack cheese to the sauce as well, about 1/2 cup)
1/2teaspooncumin
1/2teaspoongarlic powder
1/2teaspoonwhite pepper
salt to taste
You will also need
16corn tortillas
More olive oil
2cupsOaxacaChihuahua or Mozzarella cheese, shredded
2cupspepper jack cheeseshredded
Instructions
Directions
To a skillet add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat to medium. Add the poblano, bell pepper, onion, garlic and chile pepper. Season lightly with salt and pepper and saute for 6 -8 minutes. Add the corn, oregano, paprika and a little more salt and pepper (just a pinch). Cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
While the vegetables are cooking, prepare your salsa de mesa. You can cook them on the stove top or pop all of the ingredients in the microwave. Add to a glass bowl, cover with paper towel and microwave for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the blender, add oregano, lime (if using) and salt to taste. Blend until smooth, pour into a bowl and rinse out the blender jar.
For the sour cream enchilada sauce, you will add all of the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Taste for salt, set aside. Brush the corn tortillas on both sides with olive oil. Preheat a nonstick pan to medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Cook the corn tortillas for 45 to 50 seconds per side or until they start to get crisp in spots. you want them to still be pliable. Stack and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a deep oven safe skillet(4 quart) or pie pan build your pastel azteca. Start with a layer of white sauce, just enough to cover the bottom of pan. Don't be skimpy, lol! Add a layer of tortillas, they should overlap slightly. Then add a layer of white sauce, sauteed vegetable mixture, cheese, salsa de mesa and end with more white sauce. Repeat the layers until you end up with a light layer of white sauce, vegetables, cheese and salsa on top. Top with a little more crushed oregano. Don't go too heavy on the layers in between or you will run out of ingredients. Cover with foil paper and bake for 30 minutes. remove foil and cook under broiler just to brown the cheese a little. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Yields 6-8 servings
Notes
This style of enchiladas can be prepared with or without meat and with your choice of red or green enchilada sauce.