Fiesta Tortilla Stack

This dish is a family favorite.  In fact, when my oldest son was leaving on a two-week trip to England to study at Oxford, I asked him what he would like for his last California meal and he requested this. Shortly before I was to begin preparing dinner, I found out my parents would be joining us, so all of the pictures depict me doubling the recipe.

I found this recipe in a Pampered Chef product catalog years ago.  One of the ingredients is the Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning Mix, which I always use.  I'm not familiar with any other Southwestern seasoning mixes in order to recommend one if you aren't able to order the mix from Pampered Chef.  I'm sure other brands would give a similar result.  This dish gets 9s across the board on the Melnarik rating scale.

There is quite a bit of chopping required in preparing this dish, but it's definitely worth the time.  In a medium bowl, I combine the chopped chicken, red bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro.

It smells so fresh and the colors are beautiful.  This gets set aside temporarily.

In a small bowl, I combine the bean dip, Southwestern Seasoning Mix, and sour cream.  This mixture also gets set aside.

This doesn't look very appetizing, but it's a key ingredient.  After this I shred the cheddar cheese.  I always use sharp cheddar, as I feel the flavor of the cheese doesn't get lost with the other flavors.

When making this dish for my family alone, I usually use the burrito size tortillas and assemble and bake it on my Pampered Chef Baking Stone, but with my parents joining us, I used the soft taco size tortillas and put them on my non-stick baking sheet.  Next, the layering begins with the plain tortillas.

I spread the bean dip mixture on the tortillas, spreading it almost to the edge.

Then I add the chicken mixture.  I've found that if I put a small heap in the center of the tortilla and use my hand to gently "spread" it toward the edge of the tortilla, that works best.  This method is especially helpful when I get to the 3rd and 4th layers.  The chicken mixture somewhat sticks to the bean dip layer.

The next layer is the cheddar cheese.  We like cheese in our house, so I'm quite generous with the amount I add. 

Then I begin repeating the layers.  I've found that spreading the bean dip on the tortilla before putting it on top of the cheese layer helps me spread it more evenly.

Another layer of the chicken mixture goes on next, 

followed by another layer of cheese.

I won't bore you with pictures of the next two layers, which are identical to the first two layers.  I add the last of the bean dip mixture to the final tortilla (stack on left side) and sprinkle a lesser amount of cheese on top of that (stack on right side).

As you can see, the stack is pretty tall at this point.  As it cooks and the cheese melts, it will lose some of that height.  Into the oven it goes  for 35 minutes at 375°F.

When it comes out of the oven, it smells delicious and the cheese has melted into the bean dip (this layer helps keep the top tortilla from getting over browned and crispy.

I add a little more fresh cilantro for color and flavor and it's ready to slice into wedges and serve.

Not only was Jimmy pleased he had picked this meal for dinner, but my parents loved it also.  Several days later I was talking to my mom on the phone and in the background my dad was telling her to ask me for the recipe.  I told her to tell him that I'd post it to my blog, so everyone would have the opportunity to make and eat this tasty treat.  By the way, this dish requires both a knife and fork to eat!  Enjoy!

Fiesta Tortilla Stack

2 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

¼ cup snipped fresh cilantro

1 can (9 oz.) bean dip

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoons Southwest Seasoning Mix*

5 (10-inch) flour tortillas

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, red bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro; mix gently.  In a small bowl, combine bean dip, sour cream, and seasoning mix.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Place one tortilla on a baking stone or baking sheet.  Top with a thin layer of bean dip mixture, spreading almost to the edge.  Top with ¼ of the chicken mixture.  Top with approximately 1 ½ cups of cheese.  Repeat layers 3 more times.  Top with remaining tortilla spread with the remainder of the bean dip mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

*I use Pampered Chef brand Southwest Seasoning Mix