Pastel Azteca (Mexican chicken casserole)

This is a delicious dish that could also be called layered chicken enchiladas, enchilada casserole, Mexican lasagna. Something along those lines. My recipe has layers of tortillas, corn, chicken, tomatoes, some spiciness and a creamy sauce to bind it all. It's great for using leftover chicken and can be made ahead and frozen.

Originally posted in 2012, I updated this post with new images, text and a tweak in the recipe to make it better!

Going through my grandmother's recipe notebooks, I found a casserole dish, made by Chelo, her very Mexican good friend, that I ate for the first time decades ago and still remember how much I liked it!

Her friend visited once a year, brought her tortillas in the suitcase and invited us for a dinner every time. She made a mean pastel Azteca and left the recipe to my grandmother. I only tasted hers, and don't know how traditionally accurate it is. But it's good people, and easy and great to have frozen. Think of it as a different lasagna.

What is Pastel Azteca?

It is a Mexican dish that consists of layered fried tortillas, cheese, corn, and some type of tomato sauce. It's all bound by a creamy mixture which varies depending on the recipe but is always delicious. There are many recipes for this dish, I'm only sharing mine.

About this recipe

• Easy to make: it comes together very quickly, especially if using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
• Make ahead: you can keep it frozen (baked or unbaked) for a month or more or in the fridge for several days, well covered always with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Reheat at a 350°F/180°C oven until bubbly.
• Versatile: you can add layers of other ingredients, like beans, or spicy up with your favorite chile. More on variations further down this post.

Ingredients

They might seem like a lot, but they're very simple ingredients commonly available.

• Chicken: this is a great recipe for using leftover grilled or roasted chicken, or rotisserie chicken. But any type of cooked chicken works. I like a mix of white and dark meat (chicken breasts and thighs) but choose your favorite.
• Tortillas: corn or flour, use your favorite.
• Cheese: many recipes call for Oaxaca cheese, which can be bought online but is not easily available. When I can't find it, I substitute it for mozzarella and Monterrey Jack or Swiss cheeses.
• Cream: any type works fine (whipping, heavy or double).
• Milk: it's used to make the binding cream more fluid. Any type works.
• Mayonnaise: this is a controversial ingredient but it's found in the original recipe I was given, so I'm sticking with it.
• Tomatoes: any type works. I highly recommend seeding them which is easy to do.
• Corn: fresh or frozen corn kernels work fine as long as it's cooked. If you have leftover grilled or roasted corn it's great to use here too.
• Onion: yellow or white. Green onions can also work if that's all you have.
• Chile: I use jalapeños (or jalapeno) if I can find them. But any type that you like in your Mexican food works. If you can't find them fresh you can use canned ones, or even adobo or just ground chile.
• Flavorings: salt (I use kosher), freshly ground black pepper and some dried chile, such as ground ancho or jalapeño.

Assembling it

Baking it

There's not much science here, except having the oven preheated and following the time given in the recipe as long as it doesn't brown too much and the cream has firmed up a little.

The binding mixture has no eggs, so it won't bake very firm, it will still have some liquid. But it should not be a pool. So make sure it's baked well.

Variations

• Tortillas: you can use flour or corn tortillas, but the latter have much more flavor in my opinion, a unique one. But both work.
• Tomato layer: use a can of Mexican salsa, the one you would use for enchiladas.
• Salsa verde (green sauce): if you're a fan of this Mexican salsa made with tomatillos, it also works well and adds spiciness. So make sure you don't over do it with the rest of the spices.
• Beans or peas: I used to always add a layer of peas or black beans and I still do sometimes. If you want to add one or both of them, substitute by subtracting an equal amount of corn.
• Spices and herbs: you can easily change the flavor by adding an herb or different spices, especially ground chiles like ancho, jalapeño, serrano chile or cayenne pepper.

My top tips

• Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
• Chicken: if you have leftover grilled or baked chicken or rotisserie chicken, it's a great recipe to use them. 
• Tortillas: you can use flour or corn tortillas, though I highly recommend the latter as they have such a unique flavor. I usually heat them as instructed in the original recipe below, but you can also drizzle them with olive oil and bake them lightly in the oven.
• Vegetables: I like frozen corn as it is available year-round. Chopped tomatoes because I like the freshness they add. But use leftover grilled corn and a can of salsa, they will make putting together this dish much easier.
• Binding cream: it is essential of course to bring the whole pastel Azteca together. Adapt if you feel the amount of cream mixture is not enough or you want more. And yes, it uses mayonnaise and it is amazing.
• Reheating: this casserole reheats like a charm, and freezes well too. Wrap it well, always. I use plastic wrap and then foil.
• Serving it: it's great with a dollop of Mexican cream (crema Mexicana) or sour cream, and avocado slices. A green salad also works.

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