Description
Mexican comfort dish Chicken and Tortilla Casserole combines layers of spicy flavors with hearty ingredients. Cheesy, creamy layers promise a satisfying meal that welcomes diners to savor each comforting bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
- 12 corn tortillas (torn into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 (10 oz / 280 g) can diced tomato and green chiles (such as Rotel)
- 1 (10.5 oz / 298 g) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (10.5 oz / 298 g) can cream of chicken soup
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 pinches garlic powder
- 2 pinches ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté Preparation: Caramelize bell peppers and onions in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring intermittently until vegetables become translucent and develop a soft, golden essence, roughly 4-5 minutes.
- Protein Integration: Fold shredded or cubed cooked chicken into the vegetable medley, ensuring comprehensive flavor distribution and harmonious blending.
- Dish Preparation: Grease a 13 x 9 inches baking vessel with cooking spray or butter to prevent potential adherence and facilitate seamless serving.
- Foundation Layering: Strategically arrange torn tortilla fragments across the baking dish’s base, creating a sturdy foundation that covers approximately one-third of the surface.
- Protein Distribution: Meticulously spread the chicken-vegetable fusion over the tortilla foundation, guaranteeing uniform coverage and balanced ingredient integration.
- Secondary Layering: Complete the casserole construction by adding remaining tortilla pieces and complementary ingredients, generating a compact and structured culinary composition.
- Thermal Transformation: Position the assembled casserole in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven, allowing 30-35 minutes of controlled heating until edges transform into a rich golden hue and the center radiates with bubbling intensity.
- Resting Phase: Extract from oven and permit 5-7 minutes of passive cooling, enabling layer stabilization and flavor harmonization before presenting the final gastronomic creation.
Notes
- Prevent Tortilla Sogginess: Layer tortillas strategically, ensuring they’re not too densely packed to maintain a crisp texture throughout baking.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Use rotisserie chicken or season homemade chicken with complementary spices like cumin or chili powder for richer taste profiles.
- Customize Cheese Options: Select melting cheeses such as monterey jack or cheddar that provide creamy consistency and golden browning on top.
- Rest and Settle: Allow casserole to sit 5-7 minutes after baking to let ingredients bind together and stabilize layered structure, improving overall serving quality.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg