Warm Seven-Layer Skillet Dip

I planned our Super Bowl menu around this dip. Thankfully, it was very well received! I served it in the skillet and we scooped it out onto individual plates to gobble up with tortilla chips. Some chips may have also been dipped directly into the pan. 😉

The recipe was adapted from a Bon Appétit “healthyish” recipe, contributed by Shilpa Uskokovic. The original recipe convinced me to use American cheese slices in the queso layer to help it emulsify and to keep the cheese layer from solidifying.

We ate it as our Super Bowl appetizer followed by Poblano, Black Bean & Cheese Enchiladas with rice and refried beans, Trader Joe’s Elote chopped salad, followed by Churro Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting for dessert. Great.

Yield: 8 Servings

For the Beans:

• 4 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (I used a food processor)
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used a food processor)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped (I used a food processor)
• 2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 T Diamond Crystal or 1 3/4 tsp Morton kosher salt
• 1 T apple cider vinegar

For the Queso & Assembly:

• 2 tsp adobo from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt, plus more
• 4 oz yellow American cheese, coarsely grated or chopped or torn if using singles (about 1 cup) (I used 6 Trader Joe’s singles)
• 3 oz Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 ripe avocados, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• freshly squeezed juice from half a lime
• 1/4 cup (4 T) sour cream
• 1/2 cup good-quality salsa, drained if watery (I used Trader Joe’s Garlic Chipotle salsa)
• 1 (4 oz) can fire-roasted, diced green chilies or 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños
• 4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup (packed) coarsely chopped cilantro
• tortilla chips, for serving

To Make the Beans:

1. Melt the butter, cut into pieces, in a medium deep skillet over medium heat. (I used a 10-inch cast iron skillet.)
2. Add the chopped onion, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Monitor the heaat, and continue to cook, stirring often, until onion is pale golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes more.
3. With the pan over medium heat, and add the chopped garlic cloves and cumin. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add chopped chipotle chiles, pinto beans, rinsed, and salt. Pour in 1 cup water and bring to a simmer, mashing beans with a potato masher until mostly smooth.
5. Cook, stirring often, until most of liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. (Beans should be risotto-like in consistency, loose enough to fall off a spoon.)
6. Remove from heat and stir in apple cider vinegar. Cover and keep warm.

To Make the Queso & To Assemble the Dip:

1. Whisk adobo, cumin, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Add chopped/grated American cheese and cook, whisking vigorously, just until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat and add grated Monterey Jack; whisk until cheese is melted and queso is smooth (return to low heat briefly if needed). (I cooked it over low for about 2 minutes to melt the additional cheese.)
4. Using your hands to avoid bruising, toss the avocados pieces with lime juice and a large pinch of salt in a medium bowl.
5. Uncover beans and pour queso over.
6. Top with dollops of sour cream, followed by salsa, diced chilies, and then avocados.
7. Scatter sliced scallions and chopped cilantro over the top.
8. Serve dip warm in skillet with tortilla chips.

Do ahead: Beans can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat over medium-low, thinning with water and seasoning with salt as needed.

Enchiladas Verdes (Green Enchiladas with Chicken & Cheese)

Enchiladas verdes has been one of my all-time favorite dishes for almost my entire life. So, naturally, I am drawn to every version that I come across! I liked how this version included cheese in the filling rather than melted over the top. These enchiladas were also extra saucy- loved it.

This recipe was adapted from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street magazine. I used poached chicken thighs but rotisserie chicken meat could be used as a shortcut.

We ate the enchiladas garnished with chopped onion and cilantro with rice and refried beans on the side. I cooked the rice in the chicken poaching liquid which made it extra flavorful. Great.

Yield: 4 servings (8 enchiladas)

• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 medium-large poblano chilies (about 12 to 14 oz), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1 pound tomatillos, husked, cored, and chopped
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped, plus more for garnish, if desired
• 8 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1/2 cup chicken stock, plus an additional 2 cups if poaching the chicken
• 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems, rinsed and dried, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless chicken (I used 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs) (or 1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken)
• 6 oz Monterey jack or whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 T hot sauce, such as Cholula or Tapatío (I used Chipotle Cholula- my favorite)
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• lime wedges, to serve, optional
• sour cream or Mexican crema, for serving, optional
• rice and refried beans, for serving, optional

1. Place the chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with about 2 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover and cook until the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees for thighs or 160 degrees for breasts, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let the chicken cool in the liquid until just warm, then finely chop the meat. Reserve the cooking liquid. (Alternatively, 1 1/2 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken meat can be substituted.)
2. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees with a rack in the center position.
3. In a large pot over medium-high, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil, the chopped poblanos, cored & chopped tomatillos, chopped onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have completely softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
7. Add the cilantro and continue to process until smooth, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
8. Spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish; set aside. (I used 4 individual enameled cast iron serving dishes, placing 1/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of each dish.)
9. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cheese, hot sauce, 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
10. Brush both sides of the tortillas with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, then arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet (its fine to overlap them slightly). Cover tightly with foil and warm in the oven just until soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. (This step is important in order to make sure that the tortillas are pliable enough to fill and roll.)
11. Uncover the tortillas; reserve the foil. Lay the tortillas out on a large cutting board (or 2) or a clean counter.
12. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas (about 3 heaping tablespoons each), arranging the filling in a line along the bottom edge of each tortilla. (I used a 3 T cookie scoop.)
13. Working one at a time, roll up the tortillas to enclose the filling and place seam side down in a tight row down the center of the prepared baking dish. (or 2 enchiladas per individual baking dish)
14. Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce over the enchiladas. (or 2 T per individual baking dish)
15. Cover tightly with a layer of parchment paper topped with the reserved foil. Bake until the cheese begins to melt out of the ends, about 15 minutes.
16. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of chicken poaching liquid, if desired. (I used white Basmati rice.) (I also warmed refried beans at this point.)
17. Uncover and spread the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. (or about 2 T per individual baking dish) Re-cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
18. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream or Mexican crema, garnished with chopped onion and cilantro, as desired.

Mexican Layer Dip

My daughter recently had a camp out with a few friends in our backyard. They slept in a giant, 14-person tent. What fun! 🙂 The camping was combined with another event on their summer bucket list- a “dip-night.” (inspired by TikTok 😉 )

The girls each contributed a different dip, savory or sweet, to create the feast. We made this Mexican layer dip and served it with tortilla chips and Trader Joe’s corn dippers. The recipe was adapted from ThePioneerWoman.com. I loved that her version incorporated warm beans as the base of the dip. It was an easy crowd-pleaser.

• 1 can refried beans (I used Trader Joe’s Fat Free Refried Beans)
• hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Cholula, to taste (I omitted it for this crowd)
• 1 can diced green chilies (I used Trader Joe’s mild green chilies)
• ground cumin, to taste
• 3/4 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (mild or sharp)
• 1 cup sour cream
• freshly made guacamole (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 to 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 cup Pico de Gallo (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 1 can sliced black olives (I omitted them)
• kernels from 1 ear of corn
• chopped cilantro, for garnish, optional
• sliced or diced jalapeños, for garnish, optional
• tortilla chips (and/or other corn chips), for serving

1. Begin by heating the refried beans in a small pan over medium-low heat.
2. Add one or two dashes of hot sauce, if using, and a small can of undrained diced green chilies. Stir well.
3. Sprinkle the bean-chile mixture with a little bit of ground cumin. Stir to incorporate.
4. Spread the beans on the bottom of a glass bowl or high-sided or wide serving dish.
5. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar evenly over the top.
6. Next, dollop the sour cream over the cheese. Spread it into a single layer, as much as possible, being careful not to disturb the cheese underneath.
7. The next layer is the guacamole. (I used my favorite guacamole recipe (link above) using 2 avocados and garlic-chipotle salsa. This time, I omitted our traditional add-ins of chopped tomatoes and red onions.)
8. Next, sprinkle an even layer of shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the guacamole.
9. Top with a generous layer of Pico de Gallo.
10. Sprinkle chopped black olives over the top, if using.
11. Microwave an ear of fresh corn for 1 minute on high. When cool enough to handle, place upright in a bowl and slice of the kernels. Sprinkle the kernels over the top as the final layer.
12. Garnish with jalapeños and cilantro, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

Classic Macaroni & Cheese with Sourdough Bread Crumb Topping

This cheesy pasta lived up to its title as “classic.” The combination of cheeses gave it the perfect velvety texture. We ate it as part of my husband’s birthday feast this year. Everyone loved it!

The recipe was adapted from The New Best Recipe All-New Edition from the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated. The original recipe also notes that the recipe can be halved and baked in an 8-inch square baking dish. Great.

Yield: one 9×13-inch casserole: Serves 6 to 8 as a main course or 10 to 12 as a side dish

For the Bread Crumb Topping:

• 6 slices (about 6 ounces) good-quality white sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces (I used Trader Joe’s Sourdough sandwich bread)
• 3 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

For the Casserole:

• 1 pound elbow macaroni (I used Trader Joe’s)
• salt
• 5 T unsalted butter
• 6 T all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 cups milk (whole, low-fat, or skim okay)(I used 3 cups whole and 2 cups low-fat)
• 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)

To Prepare the Bread Crumbs:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the bread and butter until the crumbs are no larger than 1/8-inch, about 10 to 15 pulses. Set aside.

To Prepare the Pasta & Cheese:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the broiler.
2. Place a 9×13-inch broiler safe baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. (I also covered the enameled handles of my baking dish with foil to protect them from the heat of the broiler.)
3. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon of salt and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until the pasta is tender (NOT al dente).
4. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water (for reheating leftovers). Drain in a colander and set aside.
5. In the now-empty Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high heat until foaming.
6. Add the flour, mustard, and cayenne; whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. (I used a flat whisk.)
7. Whisking constantly, gradually add the the milk; bring the mixture to a boil. The mixture must reach a full boil to fully thicken.
8. After the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes.
9. Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated cheeses and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Whisk until the cheeses are completely melted.
10. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is steaming and heated through, about 5 to 6 minutes.
11. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and sprinkle the top evenly with the bread crumbs.
12. Broil until the crumbs are deep golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, rotating the pan if necessary for even browning. (I set my oven to Broil+Max @500 degrees.) Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Poblano, Black Bean & Cheese Enchiladas

Recently, my friend gave me beautiful cast iron baking dishes. I knew that I wanted to make enchiladas in them right away! Our Cinco de Mayo feast was the perfect occasion. Our meal also included chips and guacamole, of course. 😉

The recipe for these hearty, vegetarian enchiladas was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Ali Slagle. I modified the proportions and method. We ate them garnished with sour cream, red onion, avocado, and cilantro with refried beans and rice on the side. We topped off our festive meal with a Tres Leches Cake. Perfect.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (I used a food processor)
• 1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (I used a food processor)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
• 1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for serving, optional
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups coarsely grated mild Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• 10 to 12 (6-inch) soft corn or flour tortillas (I used Trader Joe’s corn & wheat tortillas)
• fresh cilantro leaves and stems, for serving
• sliced avocado, for serving, optional
• diced white or red onion, for serving, optional
• rice and refried beans, for serving, optional

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. (I used the convection setting.)
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the onions and chopped poblano chile; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and charred in spots, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the cumin and minced garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
4. Transfer half the vegetable mixture to a blender; add the tomatoes, chili powder and chipotle chile. (I used a Vitamix.) Blend until very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If your blender isn’t particularly strong and the sauce looks more like a chunky purée, add 1/4 cup sour cream and blend again until smooth.)(I omitted the sour cream in the sauce.)
5. Add the black beans and 1/2 cup cheese to the remaining vegetables in the skillet and stir to combine. Some canned beans are already salted, so taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
6. Place the tortillas in a tortilla warmer (or on a plate) covered with a damp paper towel. Cover and microwave for 1 minute, or until warm and pliable.
7. If using individual dishes, spread a few spoonfuls of sauce over the bottom of each dish. (I used 5 dishes.) Alternatively, pour enough enchilada sauce to lightly coat the base of a medium casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread it to cover the bottom of the dish(es).
8. Line up the filling, tortillas and baking dish in a row. Place a heaping 1/4 cup of the bean mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place in the casserole dish(es), seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. (I placed 2 enchiladas per individual dish.)
9. Spoon or pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
10. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cheese, to taste. (I used 1/2 cup cheese per dish.)
11. Place the baking dish(es) on a rimmed baking sheet and tent with foil. Bake for 10 minutes.
12. Remove foil and continue to bake until the cheese has melted and has browned in spots, about 10 additional minutes.
13. Top with sour cream, avocado slices, diced onion, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Note: The sauce and the black bean mixture (without the cheese) can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The spice level in the sauce can be easily modified by adjusting the amount of chili powder.

Shortcut Vegetarian Enchiladas with Butternut Squash & Black Beans

This crowd-pleasing casserole uses store bought enchilada sauce as a shortcut. I peeled and cut a butternut squash, but using pre-cut squash would be another easy shortcut. It was a wonderful vegetarian dish.

This recipe was adapted from Skinnytaste.com. I modified the proportions, used Monterey Jack cheese, and substituted corn tortillas for flour tortillas. I served the enchiladas with brown Basmati rice, refried beans, and Trader Joe’s Mexican street corn. Great!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 12 oz bottle of enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash, cut 1/2-inch-dice
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 10 oz can “original” Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced, plus more for garnish
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 12 corn tortillas (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 scallions, sliced, for garnish
• sour cream, for serving, optional (low-fat okay)
• brown Basmati rice and refried beans, for serving, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F, preferably on convection.
2. Place 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish. (I used a ceramic 9×13-inch baking dish.)
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant.
4. Add cubed butternut squash, Rotel tomatoes, black beans, water, cilantro, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. (Add more water if the mixture looks dry.)
5. At the end of the cooking time for the filling, steam the tortillas. Place the corn tortillas in a tortilla warmer or on a plate and place a damp paper towel on top. Cover tightly (using plastic wrap if using a plate), and microwave for approximately 1 minute, or until they are warm and pliable. Keep covered until ready to fill.
6. Place a generous 1/4 cup filling in the center of each tortilla and roll to close, placing in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining filling. (I used a dry measuring cup to ration the filling.)
7. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
8. Bake, covered with foil until the sauce is bubbling and hot and the cheese is melted, about 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Top with scallions and cilantro. Serve with sour cream, rice, and/or refried beans, as desired.

Mushroom Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Sauce

More tacos to share! I served these full-flavored vegetarian tacos for our Cinco de Mayo celebration this year- with margaritas, chips, and guacamole, of course.

The recipe was adapted from The Essential Mexican Instant Pot Cookbook: Authentic Flavors and Modern Recipes for your Electric Pressure Cooker by Deborah Schneider. I used a stove top pressure cooker instead of an instant pot, but this filling could be prepared just as easily without using a pressure cooker at all. The creamy avocado sauce was amazing!

The original recipe is for “quesotacos” which the author describes as black-belt street cooking, made by browning a layer of cheese right on a griddle, scooping it up with a tortilla, and using that to wrap the filling. I opted to serve the filling over the shredded cheese in a traditional taco form. This wonderful filling is also used in enchiladas in this book. Yum!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6, with about 1 cup of Avocado-Tomatillo sauce

For the Avocado-Tomatillo Sauce:

• 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
• 2 tomatillos, husked and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 serrano chile, stemmed (and seeded, if desired)
• 1 T water
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• leaves from 2 sprigs cilantro, chopped (about 1 T)

For the Mushroom Tacos:

• 3 T olive oil
• 1 large white onion, cut into 1-inch dice (2 cups) (I reserved 1/4 cup of the onion for the sauce)
• 9 garlic cloves, minced (3 T)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 to 10 oz cremini mushroom, sliced or cut into quarters
• 8 to 10 oz white button mushrooms, sliced or cut into quarters
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves or shredded fresh epazote
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 poblano chiles, roasted, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 12 corn or corn-wheat tortillas
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese or grated Cojita cheese
• Avocado-Tomatillo sauce, for serving
• chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

To Make the Sauce:

1. In a food processor, combine the avocado, tomatillos, onion, Serrano Chile, water, and salt.
2. Pulse until fairly smooth, about 10 pulses, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Add the cilantro and pulse a couple of times to combine.
4. Transfer to a bowl, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed.

Note: The Sauce will keep well for 24 hours, covered and refrigerated.

To Make the Filling:

1. Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet.
2. Broil the poblano chiles in the oven, rotating every 5 to 7 minutes, until charred and blistered on all sides. (I set my oven to Broil Max at 450F.)
3. Wrap the chiles in the foil lining, to loosen the charred skin with steam.
4. When cool enough to handle, peel, seed and dice the roasted chiles.
5. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, instant pot, or dutch oven.
6. Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
8. Add the water, salt, portobello mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and white mushrooms, then stir in the cilantro/epazote.
9. If using a pressure cooker or instant pot, secure the lip and cook on high for 1 minute. (Alternatively, cook the mixture in a Dutch oven until mushrooms have released a significant amount of moisture and are lightly browned.)
10. Use the quick pressure release. (I rotate the valve into a perpendicular position on the top of my pressure cooker.)
11. Set a colander in a bowl. Pour the mushroom mixture into the colander, reserving the liquid in the bowl.
12. Set the colander aside and return the liquid to the pot.
13. Bring the liquid to a boil, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until syrupy and very thick.
14. Return the mushroom mixture to the pot and stir in the black pepper, pepper flakes, and roasted and diced poblano chiles.
15. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until heated through.
16. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.
17. Serve the mushroom filling in warm tortillas over shredded Monterey Jack and crumbled feta. Top with sauce, minced cilantro, and extra cheese, as desired.

For “Quesotacos”:  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly oil, place a tortilla in the pan and toast for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. Turn the tortilla and top with 2 T of Jack cheese and 1 T of feta/Cojita. Continue toasting until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes more. Top with mushroom mixture, sauce, sprinkle of cheese, and pinch of cilantro. Serve immediately.

For a Grilled Corn & Mushroom Variation: Add kernels from 2 ears of grilled corn to the pot after adding the roasted poblano chiles.