Don’t worry if the tortillas don’t form a perfect layer as you assemble the casserole. Gaps here and there or overlapping areas won’t make a difference in the finished dish.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
• 12 ounces tomatillos, husked and quartered
• 1 poblano chili, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 15 1/2 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Mexican crema
• 2 ounces cotija cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped

Procedure

1. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position.
2. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with 1 teaspoon of the oil.
3. In a blender, combine the tomatillos, poblano, garlic, vinegar and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the sides of the blender jar as needed; you should have about 2 cups salsa verde.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the chicken, beans and 1 1/2 cups of the tomatillo salsa. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining salsa in the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Line the bottom with 2 1/3 of the tortillas, tearing them as needed to cover the surface.
6. Spread about half of the chicken-bean mixture on top of the tortillas, then top with 1/4 cup of the crema.
7. Repeat the layering with another 2 1/3 tortillas, the remaining chicken mixture and another 1/4 cup crema. Layer on the remaining tortillas, then pour on the remaining salsa. Drizzle with the remaining 2 Tablespoons crema, followed by the remaining 1 teaspoon oil.
8. Bake, uncovered, until browned at the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the cotija and cilantro. Cut into wedges to serve.