Pastel Español Recipe

This Pastel Español recipe is one of my favorites and a staple dish in our family. This recipe came from my mom and was passed down from my nana. I haven’t shared this recipe with many people except my mother-in-law, which she loved, so I figured I would share it with you all. My mom used to make this dish on special occasions like our birthdays. However, this wasn’t a recipe we had too often, like taco night.

She used to make this from scratch. She would buy and boil the chicken, dice all the vegetables, and make rice and beans as a side. I changed it a little after learning how to make it. Instead of making everything from scratch, I decided to make it semi-homemade. It made my life easier, and to be honest. I don’t see a difference in taste. Everyone has their dish version, but I always gravitate to my mom’s version. I changed a few things to make it easier, but it’s still a favorite in our home. I hope you enjoy this Pastel Español as much as our family does!

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Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken
12 corn tortillas
15 oz can of sweet corn
10 oz can of Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies
4 oz can of diced green chilies
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 onion diced
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (you can also use Colby jack or any cheese you like best)
16 oz tub of sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. Take the rotisserie chicken and shred it (you can also buy the chicken, boil it, then shred it).

Step 2

Dice garlic and onion. Saute both until the onion is translucent.

Step 3

Add a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilies. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Add chicken to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. (you may not use all of the chicken, it depends on the size of chicken you get, eyeball it).

Step 6

Take a 9 X 12 oven-safe dish. Grab your corn tortillas. I like to set up my space as you see above.

Add oil to a small pan (I’m using my cast iron pan). Make sure the oil is hot, then add the tortillas. Place the tortillas in the pan for a few seconds. Then flip over for another few seconds. You only want to soften them, not get them crunchy.

Next, place tortillas on a napkin to get some excess oil off, then step and repeat the rest of the tortillas. You’ll use six tortillas as a layer, and this dish calls for two layers. So you’ll need a total of 12 tortillas.

Step 7

Once you’re done softening all the tortillas, turn the pan off, and set it aside. Then start by layering 6 tortillas in the 9 x 12 dish.

Next, add a layer of the chicken mixture.

Add a layer of cheese. Then add the next six tortillas on top. Step and repeat. Add another layer of chicken mixture and another layer of cheese.

Then add the entire tub of sour cream to the top of the mixture.

Step 8

Lastly, sprinkle some more cheese on top. Then place into a 350-degree oven for about 10-15 until cheese is melted. Once you take it out of the oven, let it rest for about 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot, and add any sides you like!