Food writer Kristin Donnelly’s new cookbook brings back the old-school potluck dinner with contemporary new recipes. Just because it has to be portable, universally pleasing and easy enough to make in large batches doesn’t mean you’re stuck with beige casseroles and boring side dishes. Pick up a copy of Modern Potluck and feed that crowd right!
I always love looking for the overlap in ingredients between different cuisines. For example, both Mexican food and Indian food rely on flavorful, warmly spiced sauces; they use a variety of vegetables and legumes and they include flatbreads at many meals. As a nod to this overlap, I included curry powder in this otherwise straightforward enchilada pie — a saucy, lasagna-like American dish that pretends to be Mexican. Despite the use of chilies, the casserole is fairly mild. If you’d like more heat, leave in some or all of the jalapeño seeds.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 2 to 3 Ancho Chilies
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the filling and pie
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
- 1 pound zucchini or other summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
- 2 medium ears corn, kernels cut from the cobs (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 3/4 cups cooked black or pinto beans or 1 15-ounce can, drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- 12 6- to 7-inch corn tortillas
- 1 1/4 pounds monterey jack cheese, grated (5 to 6 cups)
Directions
For the sauce
In a large, deep skillet, toast the anchos over medium-high heat, turning frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. When they’re cool enough to handle, stem the chilies and shake out the seeds, ripping the chilies if you have to. Transfer the chilies to a blender (or a cup that’s heat-safe if your blender jar is not) and cover with the boiling water; let stand until softened and cooled. Add the tomatoes and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
For the filling and pie
In the same skillet used to toast the anchos, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeños and cook until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and beans and cook, mashing the beans slightly, until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove the filling from the heat and stir in the lime juice and ½ cup of the cilantro.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan (about ½ cup). Arrange one-third of the tortillas in the baking dish, tearing them in half as necessary to create an even layer. Spoon half of the filling over the tortillas and top with one-third of the cheese. Top the cheese with another layer of tortillas, followed by half of the remaining sauce, the rest of the filling, and another one-third of the cheese.
Finally, layer more tortillas, followed by the remaining sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the edges are starting to brown. Let cool for 10 minutes, and then serve.
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