Pastel Azteca
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
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Servings
8 servings
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Calories
637 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Lunch
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Cuisine
Mexican
Pastel Azteca
Description
Pastel Azteca features a deeply flavored sauce prepared by blending rehydrated guajillo chiles with charred onion and garlic, then frying this mixture in lard to enrich the flavor. The casserole is assembled with layers of softened corn tortillas alternated with tender shredded chicken, roasted poblano pepper strips, sweet corn kernels, and topped with a blend of Chihuahua and Cotija cheeses. Baking or simmering melds the ingredients, producing a comforting dish with smoky and savory notes balanced by the creamy cheese topping.
The combination of roasted peppers and chiles lends a nuanced heat, while the tortillas absorb the sauce, creating a satisfying texture. This dish serves well as a filling main course, suitable for gatherings or weekend meals where slower cooking is appreciated.
Optional steps include lightly frying the tortillas before layering to improve texture and prevent sogginess. The recipe can accommodate substitutions like canned green chiles or different meats such as ground venison. Frozen corn may replace fresh when unavailable. Adjusting sour cream with buttermilk or milk can replicate Mexican crema if needed, offering flexibility in ingredient availability.
Ingredients
SAUCE
- 4 guajillo chile stemmed and seeded, dried; or colorado or ancho chiles
- 1 onion quartered, white
- 3 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 prig epazote optional, fresh
- salt
- 3 tablespoons lard or oil
CASSEROLE
- 18 corn tortillas
- cooking oil optional, for frying
- butter or oil, for greasing the pan
- 1 pound chicken shredded or cooked ground meat
- 6 poblano pepper roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into strips, or Hatch or Anaheim peppers
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 4 ounces cotija cheese crumbled, or anejo or feta cheese
- 1 pound Chihuahua cheese grated, or Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
Instructions
SAUCE
- Put the dried chiles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover the bowl to let them rehydrate.
- Get a comal, griddle, flat top or cast iron pan very hot, and char the quartered onion and the garlic cloves. You want them nicely blackened. When they are, chop roughly and put them in a blender.
- Add the rehydrated chiles to the blender, along with all the rest of the sauce ingredients, except for the lard. Puree well. If your blender is only so-so, you might want to push this through a sieve to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. That's optional.
- Get the lard hot in a saucepan and then fry the sauce, stirring constantly to incorporate the fat. Drop the heat to a bare simmer and let this cook 10 minutes or so, then turn off the heat.
OPTIONAL TORTILLA STEP
- Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a pan until it hits about 350°F. Fry the tortillas for about 30 seconds or so -- enough to stiffen them up a bit, but not enough so they are actually stiff like tostadas. I start checking them at about 15 seconds. You want semi limp. Set the tortillas on a cooling rack.
BUILD THE PASTEL AZTECA
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Butter or oil a standard casserole pan, about 9x13 inches or thereabouts. lay down a thin layer of the sauce. Line the casserole with 6 tortillas. Spread some meat evenly over the top. Then add the corn and strips of roasted green pepper.
- Sprinkle a layer of cotija cheese, then crema, then shredded Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheese. Top with another layer of tortillas, then sauce, then repeat with the meat, vegetables and cheese. Finish with the remaining tortillas.
- Spread the remaining cotija cheese, drizzle some more crema, and sprinkle the last of the grated Chihuahua cheese over the top. You can add some black pepper here if you'd like. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown. Let the pastel azteca sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This recipe represents a full traditional version of Pastel Azteca, often prepared for Sunday suppers.
- You can expedite the cooking process by using canned or frozen chiles and corn.
- Meats other than chicken, such as ground venison, may be used as long as they are finely chopped or shredded.
- To replicate Mexican crema, thin sour cream with a small amount of buttermilk or milk.
- If unfamiliar with roasting chiles, consider looking up tutorials for proper techniques.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 637 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 637kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 52g | 17% |
| Protein | 35g | 70% |
| Fat | 34g | 52% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 83mg | 28% |
| Sodium | 1006mg | 42% |
| Potassium | 774mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 4979IU | 100% |
| Vitamin C | 16mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 202mg | 20% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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