Description
Hearty Chicken Taco Casserole brings Mexican-inspired comfort to dinner tables with layers of zesty flavors and cheesy goodness. Hungry crowds will devour this easy, crowd-pleasing dish that combines simple ingredients into a satisfying meal you can’t resist.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins and Protein-based Ingredients:
- 3 cups (680 grams) cooked, shredded chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
- 2 cups (226 grams) shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
Flavor Enhancers and Vegetable Ingredients:
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or homemade mix)
- 1 can (10 ounces / 284 grams) diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
- 1 can (15 ounces / 425 grams) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups (225 grams) frozen corn kernels, thawed
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) salsa
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Bread and Tortilla Ingredients:
- 8 small flour or corn tortillas, cut into quarters
Optional Toppings:
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Chopped green onions
- Jalapenos
Instructions
- Warm the kitchen oven to a precise 350 degrees fahrenheit, ensuring an ideal cooking environment for the vibrant casserole.
- Craft the flavor foundation by thoroughly blending shredded chicken with zesty taco seasoning, fire-roasted tomatoes featuring verdant green chilies, earthy black beans, sweet corn kernels, and robust salsa until ingredients harmonize into a cohesive mixture.
- Prepare a rectangular baking vessel by lightly coating with cooking spray, then construct the first architectural layer using crisp tortilla quarters as the base foundation.
- Generously distribute half the seasoned chicken medley across the tortilla landscape, creating an even terrain and lavishly shower with a blanket of shredded cheese.
- Replicate the layering technique with remaining tortilla fragments, pour the remaining chicken mixture, ensuring complete coverage and crown the creation with a final cascade of cheese.
- Shield the culinary construction with aluminum foil, allowing gentle heat to permeate and meld flavors for approximately 20 minutes.
- Unveil the foil barrier, permitting direct heat to transform the cheese into a molten, golden canvas and continue baking until the surface achieves a bubbling, appetizing finish.
- Elevate the dish’s visual and flavor profile by scattering fresh cilantro and presenting complementary accompaniments like cool sour cream, creamy diced avocado, and delicate green onion slivers.
Notes
- Swap tortilla quarters with gluten-free corn tortillas for a celiac-friendly version that maintains the same delicious texture and flavor profile.
- Reduce sodium by using low-sodium taco seasoning and choosing no-salt-added canned beans and tomatoes without compromising taste intensity.
- Enhance protein content by adding a layer of quinoa or brown rice beneath the chicken mixture for a more nutritionally balanced one-dish meal.
- Control spice levels by selecting mild salsa and taco seasoning for sensitive palates, or opt for hot varieties to kick up the heat for adventurous eaters.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg