Jack Jubilee

Jack Jubilee is a Southwest-leaning casserole from the mid-century cookbook era, and the name fits the layered, celebratory presentation. Crushed corn chips line the bottom, followed by cubed Monterey Jack, a custardy tomato-green-chile sauce, more chips, more cheese, a thick blanket of sour cream, and finally a shower of shredded cheddar and paprika before the oven does its work.

The sauce is the clever part. Two eggs whisked into half-and-half, then stirred into the tomato-chile base, bake into a savory custard that binds the whole dish. Without the eggs, this would be a loose layered dip. With them, it sets into sliceable squares that hold up on a dinner plate.

Using whole cubed Monterey Jack instead of shredded is the other small decision that makes a difference. The cubes melt into discrete pockets rather than blending into a uniform cheese layer, giving each bite a surprise of gooey cheese.

Kitchen Tips

• Canned chopped mild green chiles work fine, but fresh-roasted Hatch or Anaheim peppers in season give deeper flavor and gentle smoke.
• Don’t crush the corn chips into crumbs. Keep them mostly whole so they retain some crunch under the wet layers. Dust too fine and everything turns to mush.
• Add the sour cream layer cold. If you temper it first, it can break and separate during the 30-minute bake.
• Let the casserole rest 10 minutes after baking before slicing. Hot casseroles run. Rested casseroles cut clean.

Variations

• Add a pound of browned ground beef or shredded rotisserie chicken between layers for a heartier main course.
• Swap corn chips for crumbled tortilla chips or torn corn tortillas for a more traditional chilaquiles-style feel.
• Stir in a can of drained black beans for extra protein and Tex-Mex flavor.