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Tofu Tortilla Casserole

A casserole of corn tortillas layered with tofu sauce, cheese, onions, olives, and spices.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 15 ingredients
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Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cottage cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 191 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Tofu Tortilla Casserole

Oven350°F
Time30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the sauce

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan.

  2. Stir in onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute.

  3. Add cottage cheese and tofu and cook 1 minute longer.

  4. Add tomatoes, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and salt.

  5. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

  6. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Assemble and bake

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch casserole with nonstick cooking spray.

  3. Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of the casserole.

  4. Layer with half the tortillas, then sauce, cheddar cheese, and green onions.

  5. Repeat the layers.

  6. Top with olives.

  7. Bake until lightly browned and cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

637Calories
33 gProtein
37 gFat
48 gCarbs

Counts 13 of 14 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 13 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Corn Tortilla1 medium flour (45g)140
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Cottage Cheese1/2 cup (113g) 2%98
Tofu100g firm76
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Olive1 large (4g)4
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cheddar cheese + cottage cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together191 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  2. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  3. Olive + garlictop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together25,665 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  4. Onion + olivetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together29,779 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  5. Corn + olivetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,502 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Firm tofu
Adds body and protein-rich bulk that holds the sauce together after simmering.
Cottage cheese
Makes the sauce creamy and moist while adding a soft, milky texture.
Corn tortillas
Soften in the sauce and form layered, tender structure in the casserole.
Cheddar cheese
Melts and browns on top, binding the layers and adding richness.
Crushed tomatoes
Provide the main liquid and acidity that makes the sauce savory and tangy.
Onion
Softens and adds sweetness and aroma to the sauce base.

The step that matters

Simmer the sauce before layering. Simmering reduces the liquid and concentrates flavor. If the sauce is too thin, the tortillas stay soggy and the casserole will not hold its layers when cut.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, cheddar cheese, onion, olive, sauce, garlic, cottage cheese):

  1. Cuminfits better
  2. Oreganofits better
  3. Basilfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against corn, cheddar cheese, onion, olive, sauce, garlic, cottage cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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