Pastel Azteca

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AKA Mexican lasagna or tortilla casserole. No matter how you want to call it, this popular layering Mexican dish is as comforting and delicious as a good lasagna. There’s a tangy salsa verde make with tomatillos and jalapeños, tender shredded chicken, smokey poblano peppers, sweet corn, gooey cheese and delicious Mexican crema. All my favorite ingredients in one dish. Never mind. This IS better than lasagna.

What you need to make Pastel Azteca

Green tomatillos. Tomatillo is a small Mexican husk tomato. It can be green or purple.

Onion

Garlic

Corn tortillas. Yes, they must be corn.

Shredded chicken. I always use rotisserie chicken or left over oven baked chicken for this recipe.

Poblano Peppers. You will need to roast them and clean them. It is a bit of a process but fresh are much better than canned.

Corn. Frozen is perfectly fine.

Melting cheese. Oaxaca cheese, quesadilla cheese, asadero cheese or Mexican Manchego. If you can’t find any of those, Monterrey jack would be the best option.

Mexican crema agria. Crema agria is Mexican sour cream but creamier. Regular Mexican crema is also delicious and works perfect for this dish too.

Fresh cilantro

Helpful tips

Be careful not to overcook the tomatillos. If they simmer for too long, they will burst, and the salsa will be bitter. It also important to let them cool before blending.

Old corn tortillas would work great in this dish. Just like stale bread is better for French toast so, use them if you have them. I would not recommend using flour tortillas, since they are much softer, they would suck up all the moisture in this dish and get soggy. No bueno.

What I love to do when I have Pastel Azteca leftovers is to top it with a fried egg and eat it for breakfast with a big cup of coffee. Oh, so good!

About

Hello, my name is Marisol Chancellor. I was born and raised in Monterrey Mexico. I’ve been living in Texas for 12 years and even when I love barbeque, fruit cobblers and sweet tea, there’s something that has the power of transporting me right back to my mom’s kitchen and gives me a little piece of home, cooking. I grew up in the kitchen and for me, memories are always linked to food, and behind the food, well, there’s always a story that comes along. So, please let me share with you my love for cooking and while we are at it, let’s share some memories, because let’s be honest, we are also hungry for nostalgia.

3 thoughts on “Pastel Azteca

      1. I haven’t tested this recipe with masa harina. I think the texture would be quite different since masa harina is heavy and dense. You can use gluten free all purpose flour if you want to keep it gluten free. Regular flour would also be great for this recipe.

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