Best thing about this recipe is that it’s EZ and you can use a bunch of leftovers and less than ‘pretty’ picture-perfect ingredients~~like chicken and shriveling bruised tomatoes, maybe some drying out or dried out tortillas. Plus, some canned beans, or leftover beans if you’d done a pot, plus some shredded cheese and, yep, pepperoni~~well, for more flavor~~then the infusion of some killer spices. Whamo! You gots yourself a Mexican pie! Gotta love the facelift on these ingredients into something kinda rustically exotic~~and, don’t forget to use the cast iron skillet, otherwise it’s just a ‘casserole’~~borrrrring!
Serve: 6+
Preheat oven to 350
What you need:
6 (7”) tortillas (divided)
3 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ancho chili pepper (ground)
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp sea salt
4-5 cups shredded chicken (I had a leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.)
1 cup chopped pepperoni
2/3 cup chicken broth
½ cup chopped cilantro (divided)
1 can (14 Oz) half drained pinto beans
2 ½ cups sliced (lengthwise) cherry tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) half drained black beans
2 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese combo (divided)
What you do:
Cut the tortillas into ½” strips (stack and slice into strips).
In a small bowl mix the cumin, ancho chili pepper, paprika, chili flakes, white pepper and salt and set aside.
Pu the shredded chicken, pepperoni, chicken broth, half of the spice mixture, and half of the cilatronin a bowl and mix.
In a bowl, combine the two cans of beans and the remaining spice mixture and blend.
Coat an 8-10” cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Start layering the ingredients~~put half of the tortilla strips in the bottom of the skillet. Layer on top of this the chicken mixture, half of the beans, half of the shredded cheese, remaining tortilla strips, tomatoes, and remaining beans.
Cover tightly and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Remove covering and put the rest of the shredded cheese on top. Return to oven and let the cheese melt.
Remove and let the pie rest about 15-20 minutes before serving. It will have lots of juice, so use a spoon to scoop servings. You can let the pie cool longer, or over night (refrigerate), and it will slice more like a ‘pie’.
©alice d’antoni phillips www.allyskitchen.com
