Things Cooks Love II - Updated

It's a "sopa seca" or "dry soup" and it's considered a Mexican comfort food. Me, I'd call it "Mexican Lasagna." Let's go South of the Border (with none of those pesty drug wars.) Incidentally, as it's meatless, it's good for vegetarians or Lenten Fridays.

CORN TORTILLAS CASSEROLE

The Sauce
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 cups canned tomato puree Used one 8.oz. can
1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 teas. adobo sauce

Saute the onions in the oil, add the garlic and then all the other ingredients. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until thickened and set aside.

1 fresh poblano chile - roast it, let it cool, scrub off the skin, de-seed it and cut it into 1/4 in. wide strips. Set aside. Didn't see any fresh poblanos at the market, so used two canned green chilis.

Tortilla strips - the recipe calls for you to slice them and fry them, but I'd use chips from a bag -- less fat. Bagged works well.

Cheeses
1/2 cup sour cream or "crema" - to finish the top of the dish
1 cup grated "queso anejo" or pecorino romano or Asiao Used Parmesan
1 cup shredded "queso Chihuahua" or Monterey Jack or Muenster

Assemblage
Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with sauce, add a layer of tortilla strips/chips. Sprinkle the chips/strips with 1/3 each of the two cheeses. Then layer half of the poblano strips across the cheeses. Repeat and top the finished dish with a layer of sour cream. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes, then let it stand for 10 minutes and serve it.