Enchilada Pie

Yesterday, I was home taking a little cat nap after I got home from work and woke up to small shakes while I was on the living room recliner. I was sorta confused and dazed and thought my husband was home, and I was telling him to stop it already. Then I woke up quickly and realized he wasn't home, but it was an EARTHQUAKE. (Just a 5.4). The room was slightly shaking, like a little rolling action and probably only lasted for less than a minute or so. I quickly called Eric and he immediately said "Yes, I know it's an earthquake. See it doesn't always happen when I'm gone." (The past 4 earthquakes within the last year that we've had recently, Eric was out of town!) I assured him that everything was okay at home, and I told him I was about to start to make dinner. He let me know that he would be working another late night at the office finishing up a submittal due the next day. I asked him if he wanted me to drop something off for dinner, and he quickly said yes. I knew a little home-cooking would help get his project completed. (Earthquakes don't faze me anymore, it's one of those normal So.Cal nuances here).

I found this recipe in my latest cookbook, Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist. You might remember, I went to her book signing - so I've been wanting to make a couple of dishes from the book. I loved everything about this dish and knew I could make it in less than 45 minutes or so. Cat had told us that all of her dishes were meant for weeknight dinners at home, which was great since I was actually taking it to go for delivery at Eric's work.  Cat is actually short for Cathy and Mo is short for Mom and this is a spin-off on her mom's infamous casseroles that she would make for them while growing up. This was easy to prepare and I substituted the ground beef for ground turkey and added the layers of tortillas to enhance the dish. A little ground shaker, and a hearty dinner made my Wednesday night at home a little uplifting. ;-)

Cat & Mo's Enchilada Pie
Adapted from Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sour cream
1 4-ounce can green chiles, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 12-ounce jar chunky salsa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup tortilla chips, broken
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
3 green onions, chopped - white and light green parts only
6 flour tortillas
Chopped chives, for garnishment

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In the food processor or blender, add the sour cream, green chiles, cilantro, salsa, chile powder, and cumin until smooth. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the turkey and cook until it is no longer pink about 5 minutes. Add the enchilada sauce, 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder and black beans and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

In a 9 x 14 Pyrex pan, spray a couple pumps of Misto or PAM and layer the tortillas on the bottom. Spoon half of the turkey-bean mixture on top. Top with 1 cup of the cheese. Add the sour cream mixture and spread it out evenly. Add another layer of tortillas and add the rest of the turkey-bean mixture. Top with 1 cup of cheese, and garnish with chopped green onions and broken tortilla chips. Add additional cheese if you like. Cover with aluminum foil (make sure you spray Misto or PAM on the aluminum foil so it doesn't stick to the top) and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve warm, garnish with freshly chopped chives and enjoy!

Review: OMG...this tastes like a nacho-enchilada pie. Serve it with some tortilla chips, lime-cilantro rice and a tinto verano and ta-da it's one delicious meal! This makes at least 8 hearty servings, and it's great for entertaining. The guys in Eric's office were very delighted to be enjoying some home cooked food at WORK. It's not too often that Eric works late, but I rather him enjoy food from home versus take-out. Hopefully Eric will get the project submitted, and I'll have him home for dinner tonight. ;-)