Pastel Azteca

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This Pastel Azteca is made with tortillas, salsa verde, carnitas, mozzarella and sour cream. Other variations of this Pastel Azteca dish can be made with chicken or zucchini. The dish is sort of like a Mexican lasagna, but instead of the pasta, we use tortilla!

Pastel Azteca was one of my favorite dishes my mom used to make growing up. The key ingredients are the tomatillos to make the green sauce. Tomatillos can be used for a variety of dishes, my favorite being chilaquiles, a very traditional Mexican breakfast dish. Tomatillos are super similar to tomatoes, so you can treat them as such! You can buy store bought salsa verde or make your own.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Fry the tortillas. In a large pan on medium heat, add ½ inch deep light olive oil and fry the tortilla for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until brown. Add the tortilla on a plate lined with paper towel.

Make the filling. Combine the salsa verde and the carnitas in a large bowl.

Assemble the casserole. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 5 tortillas. ( Hint: Cut three of the tortillas in half so they become a semi circles and place on the sides of the dish. Use two uncut tortillas for the center of the baking dish).Next layer will be the yummy filling! Like a lasagna, fill the baking dish with the carnitas, then half of the peppers, then half of the sour cream. Sprinkle with shredded cheese generously. Repeat this once more then top the casserole with cheese (as much as you wish).

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has completely melted.

Instead of pork, you can use chicken as well. If you buy a rotisserie chicken, you can remove the meat off the chicken.

Roast the bell peppers. At 400°F, roast the peppers for 20 minutes, occasionally turning with tongs. Place the peppers in a bowl covered with a clean towel or a plate for 20 minutes extra. The skin will blister off the pepper so then take the skin off, cut the pepper on one side and take the seeds out! Wash under the sink to get some of those difficult seeds out. Leave the stem on. Place them on a paper towel. When dry, cut the pepper into slices.