Mexican Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

• Cooking spray (For greasing the baking dish)
• 2 tbsp Neutral oil
• 1 Yellow onion (Medium, chopped)
• 1 Jalapeño (Small, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped; optional, plus more thinly sliced for serving)
• 2 cloves Garlic (Finely chopped)
• 3 cup Shredded cooked chicken
• 1 can (15.5 oz) Black beans (Rinsed and drained)
• 1 can (15.25 oz) Corn (Drained)
• 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can (15 oz) Fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 can (10.5 oz) Cream of chicken soup
• 2 cup Tortilla chips (Crushed; divided)
• 1.5 cup Cheddar cheese (Shredded; divided)
• 1.5 cup Monterey Jack cheese (Shredded; divided)
• Fresh cilantro (Chopped, for serving)
• Tomatoes (For serving)
• Avocado (For serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13 × 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. 2

   Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

3. 3

   Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender and just turning golden, about 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the jalapeño, if using, and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

5. 5

   Add the chicken, black beans, corn, salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and cream of chicken soup. Stir to combine.

7. 7

   Spread half of the chicken mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

8. 8

   Top with half of the crushed tortilla chips, half of the cheddar, and half of the Monterey Jack.

9. 9

   Layer on the remaining chicken mixture, then the remaining tortilla chips, cheddar, and Monterey Jack.

10. 10

    Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

11. 11

    Top with chopped cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, and thinly sliced jalapeño to serve.

Notes

For make-ahead preparation, assemble the casserole without baking and without the cheese and tortilla-chip topping. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Before baking, let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then bake at 350°F as directed. The source also suggests substituting 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper for the jalapeño, and mentions sour cream and lime juice as optional serving additions.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• casserole
• Mexican-inspired
• Tex-Mex
• baked
• chicken
• crowd-friendly