Cheese Enchilada Pie with Chile con Pollo

When you have roasted chicken available in 8oz. packets in your freezer, it makes coming up with new recipes so much fun. Don't know why, but I'm in the mood for peppers in my cooking and needed to have something tasty for the market, too. With round flour tortillas, I knew I was facing a reversed square-peg-in-a-round-hole moment, and decided to use my tortillas flat in those throw-away foil pans! Ta da! Why never before? I don't know. Just too late schmartte, I guess. Result? A delicious entree and easy clean-up. 

Preheat solar oven to 225F. Have four round 9" baking pans ready. They will hold two tortillas, each.

Solar-Baked Cheese Enchilada Pie with Chile con Pollo

8 oz pre-cooked chicken, finely chopped
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, roasted and chopped
2 Tablespoon oil/lard
1 large onion, chopped
1 10oz can chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon anise
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mole
1 Tablespoon corn starch
Salt to taste
Eight small flour tortillas
2.5 cups of mixed grated cheeses of your choice
1 medium sweet onion, chopped

Directions:

Over high heat, in heavy dry skillet, roast large pieces of red bell pepper for one or two minutes or until charred and softened. Remove to chopping board. Add oil/lard to skillet and when hot, add chopped onion. Meanwhile, chop pepper pieces; add to skillet when onions are translucent; stir and cook until softened and onions begin to darken. Stir in chopped chicken. Combine all dry ingredients, add to skillet mixture and blend thoroughly. Add chicken stock; cook until stock begins to boil. Remove to large mixing bowl to cool slightly. Puree in processor or use immersion blender.

Heat tortillas in steamer or microwave, just to soften. In bottom of baking pan(s), spread 1/2 cup of puree over bottom, add tortilla. Using half of grated cheese mix, divide and spread over tortillas; spread 1/2 cup puree over cheese. [NOTE: If easier for you, use a small mixing bowl to combine puree with cheese and then arrange evenly over tortillas]. Add another warmed tortilla, cover with puree, divided in four, top with evenly divided cheese and chopped sweet onion.

Bake in solar oven until cheese has browned, approximately 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool just a bit, then serve in wedges. Goes great with black beans, yellow rice, and a sweet banana pepper to crunch on.

[NOTE:  This was a test run cooked in the solar oven on Thursday. Unfortunately, Saturday dawned with non-stop rain. The vendors were there but the visitors stayed away in droves. I set the oven up for discussion, only. But, this is definitely a demo meal, too.  I hope you'll try it because it's even more delicious than I anticipated and I just know you're going to love it, too.