Skillet Tortilla Dish

I have mentioned before that my husband is a picky eater. Sometimes food just doesn't appeal to him for no good reason. The problem is, I love trying new recipes and that means I sometimes get winners, and sometimes recipes strike out completely. There's always a moment of suspense when we sit down to dinner. Take the conversation we had when I first made this dish, for example:

Husband: What is this?
Me: It's a Skillet Tortilla Casserole. It's got ingredients that you like in it, see? Cheese, chicken, chips . . .
Husband: You shouldn't call it a casserole or I won't eat it.
Me: Okay, it's a Skillet Tortilla Bake.
Husband: Bake means casserole.
Me: Alright, how about Skillet Tortilla Dish?
Husband: Okay, now I can eat it.

Pause.

Husband: It's good. You can make it again.

This one was definitely a winner for both of us. Whatever you want to call it, it is easy to make, uses many ingredients that are probably already in your cupboard, and tastes fresh and not greasy or heavy. It was originally written as a lighter recipe using light cheddar cheese and baked chips, but since I never want to buy special ingredients for it I end up using real chips and real cheese.

 

Skillet Tortilla Dish

1 T canola oil
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (optional, but I highly recommend it.)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 (15 oz) can pinto, kidney or black beans
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 T lime juice
5 cups roughly broken tortilla chips

1. Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler

2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and tomatoes with their juice, scraping up an browned bits, and bring to a simmer.

3. Stir in the chicken and beans and cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup of the cheddar, 3 T of the cilantro and lime juice. Stir in the tortilla chips and toss until all pieces are moistened (the skillet will be quite full but will shrink down as the chips soften.)

4. Sprinkle with the remaining cup cheddar and broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with the remaining T cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe source: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

Posted in: Main Dish