Mexican loaf

Mexican food is widely popular outside Mexico.  In the Dutch meat and potato environment of my childhood, it probably was popular enough to make an appearance of about once a weak in some form.  I saw Tasty on Facebook using 10 burrito shells to make a loaf on a cookie sheet.  I wanted to try it.  Their recipe held little appeal to me.  My mom made a 9 x 13 casserole called mexican casserole which was similar to lasagna exchanging flour tortilla shells for noodles and Mexican ground beef mixture for Italian ground beef mixture.  Using the memory of this casserole, a few ingredients which are my go-to, and my knowledge of science, I made up something of my own.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Chicken thighs deboned and skinned, cooked to your desired doneness, then shredded and cooled
• 3 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 27 oz can black beans
• 3 colored bell peppers seeded and sliced
• 1 16 oz fresh mushrooms sliced
• 2 15 oz cans refried beans
• 1 8 oz package Mexican blend cheese
• 1 package of 10 burrito size flour shells
• 2 Mexican spice packets
• 2 small avocados sliced

Instructions:

1. Saute mushrooms and bell pepper in olive oil in large pan.  I used a 14 inch frying pan with tall sides.
2. Add spice packets.
3. Mix well.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and black beans.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. You want to reduce this mixture so that it is similar to a paste.
7. To do this you will use science.  I used conduction, convection, and absorption, but feel free to pick from any in your repertoire.  Conduction is between the stove burner and the frying pan.  Conduction is also between the frying pan an the liquid touching it.  It spreads outward from there.  Convection is present because we are talking about a liquid.  Because that liquid is boiling there is a self mixing of the heat.  As the viscosity or thickness of the liquid increases, your self mixing of the heat decrease and you have to resort to more mechanical mixing so conduction doesn’t take over and burn your liquid to the frying pan.  As for the absorption, I just didn’t feel like waiting that long so I added about 5 Tbs. Rice.  This won’t really change the taste of your material much.  Think of of it like ice in a drink.  Anyways 10 – 15 minutes later you have much less water and are closer to a paste.
8. When you have a paste set aside and allow to cool.
9. Oil or spray your cookie sheet.
10. Set the tortilla shells on the cookie sheet so that you have 1 half on and half off the cookie sheet for each of the smaller sides of the cookie sheet, 2 half on and half off for each of the longer sides, and 2 for the bottom middle.  Reserve 2 shells for the top middle.
11. Take the 2 cans of refried beans and make a layer on the shells on the cookie sheet.
12. Cover the beans with the shredded chicken.
13. Cover the chicken with the cheese.
14. Cover the cheese with the paste.
15. Cover the paste with sliced avocados.
16. Place the two shells held in reserve on the center top of your loaf and fold over all of your half shells from the bottom layer to make a loaf.
17. Oil the bottom of another cookie sheet.
18. Put this sheet over your loaf.
19. Weight it down with something oven safe.
20. Place in preheated 325 degree oven for 35 minutes.
21. Allow to cool.
22. Slice and serve.