Recipe by Tucker Shaw. Serves 6.
Ingredients
FOR THE TOMATILLO SAUCE:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced, divided
2 pounds tomatillos, husked, washed and quartered
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, chopped (taste for heat and adjust if necessary)
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
FOR THE CHILAQUILES:
1 dozen corn tortillas (don’t use your freshest ones), cut into wedges
1 small can green chiles, drained (optional—taste your sauce for heat before adding these)
About 1 cup queso asadero, jack cheese or cheese mixture, or more to taste, crumbled
Lime wedges
Fresh cilantro leaves to taste
Directions
Make tomatillo sauce: In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Add tomatillos, garlic, cumin, coriander, peppers and liquid. Bring to a simmer, lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.
Allow sauce to cool slightly, then, working in batches, blend or process for 20-30 seconds or until ingredients are fully incorporated but not totally liquefied. Return to pot, add remaining onion, and keep warm over a low flame.
Meanwhile, lightly toast tortilla wedges in the oven for a couple of minutes under the broiler. Do not burn. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium casserole dish, layer tortillas, tomatillo sauce, peppers and cheese as you would a lasagna or other layered casserole dish. End with cheese. (You might have some tomatillo sauce left over — lucky you!) Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbling. Serve with a spritz of lime and torn cilantro leaves.
