Happy 5th of May, otherwise known as Cinco de Mayo. This celebration of Mexican culture & heritage in the US started out as a rallying movement for the Mexico people in the mid-1800s.

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a relatively minor holiday in a localized area, commemorating the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla at the beginning of the Franco-Mexican War. The war began when the Mexican president was forced to default on debts to European governments due to the country’s financial ruin from previous wars. In response, European governments sent naval forces to demand reimbursement from the Mexican government. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces, but France was intent on establishing a dependent empire in Mexican territory. It wasn’t the first time France had invaded Mexico, but it was the last time a country in the Americas was invaded by a European military force. Success for the Mexicans at Puebla represented a great symbolic victory for their government and bolstered the resistance movement, although it took six years and military support & political pressure from the United States to force France to withdraw from Mexico.

The first Cinco de Mayo celebration was right after the Battle of Puebla, started by Mexicans living in the US, as a way to support freedom & racial equality and to oppose slavery. Currently, many cities in the US celebrate Cinco de Mayo with parades while the population celebrates with Mexican dishes & drinks.

Enchilada Lasagna  (adapted from an Alton Brown recipe)                                      Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes  Cook Time: 1 hour  Yield: 6 to 8 servings

For the sauce:

• 2 small poblano peppers, stems and seeds removed, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted cumin seeds, freshly ground
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon  black pepper

For the filling:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
• 1 large diced onion
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 12-15 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 3 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Combine the peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the peppers are soft. Set the sauce aside.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken until it is cooked through, approximately 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in a medium bowl.

Add the onions to the same pan along with a generous pinch of salt, decrease the heat to medium-low and sweat the onions for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano to the pan and cook them until the onions are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes more.

Add the chicken back to the pan and remove it from the heat.

Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Place 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the dish. Lay 4 tortillas in the bottom of the dish, cutting an additional tortilla in half to completely cover the bottom of the dish.

Top the tortillas with sauce then half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup of the cheese.

Starting with 4 more tortillas, repeat the layers, ending with the last of the tortillas on top. Pour the remaining sauce over the dish and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake it in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake the casserole for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese bubbles.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with some great Mexican-inspired food!  ~Linda

Enchilada Lasagna  (adapted from an Alton Brown recipe)                                      Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes  Cook Time: 1 hour  Yield: 6 to 8 servings

For the sauce:

• 2 small poblano peppers, stems and seeds removed, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted cumin seeds, freshly ground
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon  black pepper

For the filling:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 12-15 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 3 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Combine the peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the peppers are soft. Set the sauce aside. Preheat the oven to 350º.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken until it is cooked through, approximately 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in a medium bowl. Add the onions to the same pan along with a generous pinch of salt, decrease the heat to medium-low and sweat the onions for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano to the pan and cook them until the onions are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the chicken back to the pan and remove it from the heat.

Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Place 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the dish. Lay 4 tortillas in the bottom of the dish, cutting an additional tortilla in half to completely cover the bottom of the dish. Top the tortillas with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup of the cheese. Starting with 4 more tortillas, repeat the layers, ending with the last of the tortillas on top. Pour the remaining sauce over the dish and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake it in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake the casserole for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese bubbles.