One of my husband’s favorite meals is a chicken casserole. One of my favorite meals to prepare is a chicken casserole. Why? That’s easy. Preparing a casserole is a great way to serve a hearty, filling meal any night of the week. In just a matter of minutes and just a few simple ingredients, you can have a filling and comforting dish that your family and friends will love.
When it comes to preparing a casserole, don’t be afraid to mix and match flavors. The most important part is that you stick to the basics:
- One main ingredient (usually protein)
- One second ingredient (usually vegetable)
- One starch
- One binder (milk or water to make it creamy)
- One topping
If you stick to this basic formula, you can put together a casserole in minutes that will be enough to feed the whole family…and you might just have leftovers to enjoy for lunch the following day.
Last night, I knew that I had a Southwest Salad Kit in my refrigerator that I had to serve for fear of it being tossed in a matter of days. In sticking with the theme of the salad, I decided to prepare this Mexican Chicken Casserole. The salad paired with this casserole was a match made in heaven. The casserole was very creamy but the corn tortillas and tortilla topping made a nice crunch and gave the overall dish a great texture.
Mexican Chicken Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 can chopped green chiles, divided
- 1 fully cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1 (8 ounces) jar enchilada sauce
- 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- Handful of crushed tortilla chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour broth and 1 can of chiles in a saute pan and bring to a boil. Add shredded chicken; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from the liquid. Leave the cooking liquid in the pan.
- Heat oil in a separate skillet and add 1 can of chiles and onion. Saute for 2 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add chopped garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add onion, chiles and garlic mixture into the saute pan filled with the reserve cooking liquid. Add evaporated milk, Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese and enchilada sauce. Cook for two minutes.
- Stir in shredded chicken and cook for 2 minutes then remove from heat.
- Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray.
- Spoon 2 cups of chicken mixture over the tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with the chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips over the top and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Serve warm.
* Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
Great one dish meal, and I love the chart! Very nice and helpful!
Maggy@ThreeManyCooks says
This looks like just the kind of thing I'd like to have for dinner. YUM!
Jenny says
I would gobble a plate of this up in no time!
Michelle says
OH MY…and I am starving right now.
Love the photos!
Chicago Cuisine Critique says
Sounds and looks great. I am a new follower, love your blog. :)
Kate says
Nice little chart! This reminds me of a fresher, more lively version of a King Ranch Chicken casserole, which I tasted recently for the first time. Tortillas in any casserole and chips on a casserole — winner!
Tracy says
Sounds delicious, and I love the formula cheat sheet for making casseroles!!
MIss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
This is right up my alley! Thanks for sharing!
marla {family fresh cooking} says
Your casserole looks great & your tips are ones I could use over and over again. The other thing I love about casseroles? The leftovers!
Cookin' Canuck says
This would be very popular with my family. I like the creamy insides and crunch tortilla top.
Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food says
I love everything about this casserole and it's calling (shouting, actually) my name!
jami says
I made a modified version of this casserole last night. Used fewer tortillas, since my casserole dish wasn't that wide, and omitted the chilies (so my children wouldn't gripe about the green stuff). It was so delicious! Thank you!!
Eliana says
What an easy guide to casserole making! Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction says
Ooh.. My hubby loves casseroles, and I rarely make them. This Mexican chicken casserole looks fantastic, but I especially love your casserole formula. That's brilliant!
Joanne says
I love your casserole formula! Such a cute idea and perfect for when you're standing in front of the fridge thinking, what the hell is going on in there.
I love the flavors in this casserole. Tex-Mex is one of the loves of my life.
Foods says
really great and able to appreciated, interesting job you done, i am trying to follow your tips to make it
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