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Green Chile Chicken Casserole with Radiators

Green Chile Chicken Casserole with Radiators

Green chile chicken enchilada casserole is the definition of New Mexican comfort food. Layers of corn tortillas, gooey melted cheese, and a creamy chicken and green chile filling make for a wonderfully spicy and satisfying dish. The best flavor and heat are achieved by getting fresh Hatch green chiles, which are similar to Anaheim chile peppers but are grown in Hatch, New Mexico, roasting them, then peeling and seeding them. However, canned Hatch green chile is also available at most supermarkets and is delicious as well!

INGREDIENTS

MAKES FOUR - SIX SERVINGS

  • 1-pound fresh Hatch chile peppers (between 7 and 10 peppers), or 4 4-ounce cans of Hatch chopped green chile, hot. 

  • 1 whole fresh roasting chicken (3-5 pounds) or store bought rotisserie chicken, or 4 cups shredded cooked turkey 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 4-8 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 8 tablespoons flour
  • 8 cups chicken stock or broth, heated
  • 1-pound Sfoglini Radiators
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or a mixture of Monterrey Jack and cheddar
  • 1 cup canned black beans, drained
  • Minced cilantro and/or scallions, to serve

        DIRECTIONS

        If you're using fresh green chile:

        On a gas stove, turn one of the burners on high and use heat-proof tongs to hold the chiles, one at a time, right over the flame, rotating and turning until the skin is mostly blackened. Alternatively, you can use your oven broiler. Turn the broiler on high and set the green chiles in one layer on a large baking sheet. Place the chiles about two inches below the broiler and cook for 2-4 minutes, once one side is blackened, flip all the chiles over, and broil for another 2-4 minutes or until completely blackened.

        As soon as the chiles are roasted, transfer them to a large bowl filled with ice water. Let them cool in the ice water for a few minutes, then remove one at a time and wipe the skins off. Next, stem and seed the chiles by slicing them in half lengthwise and using a knife to scrape the seeds off the interior of each pepper and then slicing off the stem. Chop the green chiles into roughly 1/2 inch pieces and set aside. There should be slightly less than one cup of roasted, chopped green chile.

        If you're roasting the fresh chicken:

        Heat oven to 450° F. Remove the neck and giblets (if included) from the chicken. Season the chicken, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Set the chicken breast side up in a rack on a roasting pan and roast for 45-60 minutes or until cooked through. Lower the heat if the skin starts to brown too much. Let the chicken cool until it’s safe to handle. 

        To prepare the casserole:

        Remove all the meat from the chicken, shred it and set aside.

        Heat butter in a large saute pan or dutch oven over medium heat until just melted. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and green chile, and cook for another minute or until the raw garlic smell is gone. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes; lower the heat if necessary to avoid the flour browning. 

        Begin adding the chicken stock to the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, whisking each time until blended before adding more. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a steady simmer during this process. The mixture should develop into a slightly thickened sauce. Add the radiators and gently stir them into the sauce while continuing to simmer. Continue cooking, stirring regularly and gently to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

        Once the radiators are cooked, turn the heat off and stir in the chicken and sour cream. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. 

        Heat oven to 350° F and butter or spray a 9x13 baking dish. Spread about half of the chicken pasta mixture in the baking dish. Top with 1/2  cup of the black beans, then with 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Repeat these layers one more time.

        Bake the casserole until heated through, approximately 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler to brown the cheese on top, checking every 2 minutes until desired color.

        Remove the casserole from the oven, top with cilantro and/or scallions, and serve.

        We love seeing your pasta creations! Share your pasta pics with us on social by tagging @sfoglini and using #sfoglini

        Chef's Note: Widely-available canned Hatch Green Chile will work in the recipe, but the spice and flavor will be much milder. This is a great option for the spice-averse and for children! Another possibility is fresh Anaheim chile peppers that are available in most supermarkets that can be roasted at home following the same method for the Hatch peppers. The flavor and heat will be milder, but better than canned chiles. More heat can be added using red pepper flakes.

        Pasta Swaps: This recipe would also work well with Cascatelli by Sporkful, Quattrotini, or Rigatoni.