Ingredients

  • 1- 1/2 pound Ripe Tomatoes, Chopped Into 1/2 Chunks Reserving Juice
  • 1 cup White Onion, Diced
  • 1 Serrano Pepper, Seeded And Minced (reserve The Seeds)
  • 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 cups Fresh Cilantro, Finely Chopped
  • 2 Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce, Diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Adobo Sauce, From The Chipotle Peppers
  • 4 cloves Garlic, Minced, Divided
  • 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 1- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Smoked Cumin
  • 1 cup Tomato Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
  • 1 pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cubed
  • 1- 1/2 cup Cups White Onion, Diced
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1/4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock Or Low Sodium Store Bought
  • 12 Corn Tortillas (6 Size)
  • 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Finely Shredded
  • 4 Scallions, Sliced

Method

  • 1.
  • In a medium-sized glass mixing bowl, combine the salsa ingredients: chopped tomatoes and juice, 1 cup diced white onion, the serrano pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and cilantro.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • After 30 minutes, taste the salsa and if a spicier version is desired, stir in the reserved seeds.
  • 2.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • 3.
  • Put a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add 2 1/2 cups of the salsa prepared in Step 1 as well as the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, 3 cloves of the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, tomato sauce and sugar.
  • Bring to a boil while stirring then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and cover.
  • 4.
  • While the sauce is cooking set a medium frying pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the canola oil and once heated add the chicken and cook until browned and thoroughly cooked.
  • Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.
  • 5.
  • Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of onions to the frying pan and season with a pinch of kosher salt.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and sweat the onions for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the remaining 1 clove of minced garlic and the oregano and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Return the cooked chicken back to the pan and add the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
  • Once heated through, remove pan from heat.
  • 6.
  • Spray two 6 souffle dishes with non-stick spray and layer the prepared ingredients into each dish as follows:
  • Layer 1: Spread 1/4 cup of the sauce (from step 3) on the bottom of the souffle dish.
  • Layer 2: Dip 2 tortillas separately into the sauce in the saucepan and lay both on top of the sauce in the souffle dish.
  • Layer 3: 1/4 cup cheese Layer 4: One fourth of the chicken mixture Layer 5: 1 tablespoon of sauce (from step 3) Layer 6: 1/4 cup cheese Layer 7: 1 sauce dipped tortilla Layer 8: 1/4 cup of sauce (from step 3) Layer 9: 1 sauce dipped tortilla Layer 10: 1/4 cup cheese Layer 11: One fourth of the chicken mixture Layer 12: 1 tablespoon of sauce (from step 3) Layer 13: 1/4 cup cheese Layer 14: 2 sauce dipped tortillas Layer 15: 1/4 cup of sauce (from setp 3) Layer 16: 1/2 cup cheese Layer 17: One half of the sliced scallions
  • 7.
  • Cover the dishes with aluminum foil, set them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
  • Then remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a rack.
  • Let the casseroles rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with some crispy tortilla chips, a side of refried beans and some shredded lettuce drizzled with any remaining salsa casera, cheese and a little sour cream.