Recipe
Green Chile Tortilla Pie
Print or online media may reprint this excerpt with the following attribution: “Excerpted from Not Your Mother’s Weeknight Cooking, by Beth Hensperger, © 2008, and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press.”
Green Chile Tortilla Pie
Every so often while shopping I see the oversized 12-inch flour tortillas that are almost as big as a pizza pan, usually in a warehouse supermarket. The size is so intriguing that I am always looking for ways to use them. Pressed into a large pie pan, the tortilla makes a lovely shell for a cream and egg filling, creating a dish similar to a quiche. Here are the delightful flavors of a chile relleno, only a whole lot simpler. If you only have regular-size flour tortillas, you can slightly overlap them to fill the pan; just be sure to leave 2 inches of tortilla around the rim of the pan. If you have time, make the Fast Winter Salsa (see below), which lives up to its name, to spoon over the top. Serve with sautéed corn.
Serves 4
Cooking Method: Oven
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 to 45 minutes
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
One 12-inch flour tortilla
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
One 4-ounce can roasted chopped green chiles, drained
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground cumin
3 ounces fresh goat’s milk cheese, crumbled
1 recipe Fast Winter Salsa (recipe below)
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (325ºF if using a Pyrex pan).
2. Grease a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan with the oil. Place the tortilla in the pan and press down so it adheres to the sides. Sprinkle the bottom with two-thirds of each of the grated cheeses. Sprinkle the chiles over the cheese.
3. Beat together the eggs, sour cream, salt, and cumin in a small bowl. Pour over the chiles and cheese. Sprinkle the top with the remaining one-third of each of the grated cheeses and dot the top with the goat cheese. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until set.
4. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving with some salsa spooned over.
Fast Winter Salsa
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 clove garlic
4 green onions, cut into chunks
1 jalapeño chile, seeded, or chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
One 14 ½-ounce can fancy stewed tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
Juice of 1 lime
Put the garlic, green onions, chile, and cilantro in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Chop coarsely using short pulses. Add the tomatoes and chop until chunky; season with the lime juice. This will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
