ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Mi mami started making enchilada casseroles as her familia grew and grew and she tired of hand-rolling all those enchiladas individually. I can’t say I blame her — we’re a big crowd. This enchilada casserole can be made with either green or red enchilada sauce, and feel free to swap out the shredded chicken for beef or pork. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken. — VIANNEY RODRIGUEZ ¼ cup vegetable oil, for

frying 15 to 20 (6-inch) corn

tortillas 2 cups red enchilada or enchilada verde sauce (homemade or store-bought) 4 cups shredded

chicken (see recipe) 2 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 cup diced onion Warm the vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. In batches, lightly fry each tortilla on both sides for about 1 minute each side; they should still be pliable when done. Transfer each from the pan to a paper towellined plate to drain. Continue until all the tortillas have been fried, and then remove from the heat. Liberally spray a slow cooker liner with cooking spray. Place 1/4 of the tortillas in a layer on the bottom of the slow cooker and then cover it with 1/4 of the sauce. Add 1/4 of the shredded chicken and sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese and the onions over the chicken. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve warm. Serves 6 to 8. — From “The Tex-Mex Slow Cooker: 100 Delicious Recipes for Easy Everyday Meals” by Vianney Rodriguez (Countryman Press, $24.95)