110 ozcan diced tomatoes and chiles (i.e. Rotel)drained
18 ozsour cream
1cupthick salsa (mild/medium/hot)
1-2mediumjalapeno peppersseeded and finely diced (optional)
11.0 ozpacket taco seasoning
1 1/2tspgarlic salt
1tsplemon pepper
1tspground cumin
3 1/2cupscolby jack cheesedivided use
3cupscrushed tortilla chips or Doritosdivided use
1smallbunch green onionsthinly sliced
2-4Tbspchopped fresh cilantro
sour cream, salsa, diced roma tomatoes for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Add chicken, corn, black beans, condensed soup, Rotel tomatoes, sour cream, salsa and diced jalapenos to a large mixing bowl. Stir until fully combined.
Add in taco seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper and ground cumin. Mix until fully combined. Mix in 2 cups shredded cheese.
Sprinkle the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 2 cups tortilla chips. Spread chicken mixture evenly over the tortilla chip layer.
Top chicken layer with remaining cheese to top of chicken mixture. Top with remaining 1 cup tortilla chips.
Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.
Top with green onions, cilantro, and diced tomato and serve with salsa and sour cream.
Notes
Rice - You could add 1 cup of cooked rice for a Mexican chicken rice casserole.
Seasonings - In place of a packet of taco seasoning you can make your own. See my recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning here.
Peppers - You could add finely diced bell peppers or poblano pepper in place of jalapeño pepper.
Protein Substitutions - You can use shredded poached chicken breasts , chicken thighs, shredded beef, turkey or pulled pork in this casserole recipe.
Cheese - You could use cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese for a little spice.
Soup - If you prefer, you can use cream of mushroom soup, cream of onion soup or cheddar cheese soup.
Sour Cream - You can use low fat sour cream in place of full fat sour cream. You could also use plain greek yogurt.
Beans - You could add pinto beans or light red kidney beans in place of black beans.
Cilantro - If you don't care for cilantro you can omit or replace it with fresh parsley.
Tortilla Chips - You can use any flavor of taco chips, fritos or Doritos.
How to Serve Mexican Chicken Casserole - After baking, the casserole can be topped with fresh ingredients like diced tomatoes, avocado, green onions, lettuce, olives, and extra sour cream for a refreshing contrast to the layers of crunchy chips, seasoned chicken and melty cheese. You may also opt to serve this with a side salad or Mexican rice to complete the meal.