Mexican Chicken Casserole - Layered with Tortilla Chips

A slice of chicken taco casserole on a Mexican plate.

Mexican Chicken Casserole - Layered with Tortilla Chips

This Mexican Chicken Casserole is a creamy, layered dinner made with seasoned ground chicken, Hatch green chiles, tortilla chips and melted cheese. What makes it different? A rich tomato-cream sauce inspired by a vintage South Texas Junior League recipe gives this Southwestern-style casserole its distinctive flavor, without relying on condensed soup.

Course Main Course Chicken

Cuisine Southwestern Mexican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 502kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken
2 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 large Sweet onion chopped
¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
8 Chile peppers roasted, skins removed, chopped. Medium heat peppers works well for this. Or two 4 ounce cans from the Mexican aisle.
2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
1 ½ cup Tomato juice
1 ½ cups Heavy Cream
16 ounce Yellow Corn Tortillas 1-16 ounce bag of sturdy chips
4 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground chicken and chopped onion. Season with salt and cook, stirring often until chicken is almost cooked and the onion has softened. About 6 - 7 minutes.
Add the chopped chile peppers and taco seasoning. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until well combined.
Add tomato juice and cook for 5 minutes. Add cream and simmer for a couple of minutes until well blended, stirring.
In a large casserole sprayed with non-stick spray, place ½ of the bag of tortilla chips in the bottom. Spread half of the chicken cream sauce over the tortilla chips. Sprinkle on half of the cheese.
Add another healthy layer of tortilla chips. You won't need the whole bag but most of it. Pour on the rest of the chicken cream sauce and top with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let the casserole rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.
To serve: Top with chopped lettuce and chopped tomatoes for that taco experience. Slices fresh jalapeno peppers and a dollop of sour cream.

Notes

Tips For Success

Grate your own cheese. Those packets of pre-shredded cheese are most certainly convenient, however they can contain chemicals that keep it from clumping. Those same chemicals will also create a cheese that doesn't melt as creamy as fresh grated.
Mild Hatch Chile Peppers: Using mild Hatch chile peppers will make this a more family friendly casserole. Some Pueblo Chile peppers or peppers labeled Big Jims can carry a fair amount of heat.
Don't Use Thin Tortilla Chips: Take the time to search out chips that are labeled thick and crunchy. It's important to the end texture of the casserole. Thin chips will become soggy.
Don't Assemble This Casserole Too Far Ahead: I have tested this casserole as a make-ahead dish, and because the tortilla chips absorb moisture from the tomato-cream sauce, I recommend assembling and baking it soon rather than preparing it hours in advance. That will give you the best texture in the finished casserole.

Recommended: Use my recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning. It only takes a few minutes to make and the flavor is far superior to packages purchased at the store;

Nutrition