Mexican Chicken Casserole with Tortilla Chips

Summer is a great time for quick recipes, so why not give this Mexican chicken casserole with tortilla chips a try? It’s a great way to revamp grilled chicken breasts!

Hey everyone! It’s The Cookie Writer here again with a delicious and fulfilling recipe that utilizes leftovers (much like my leftover ham pizza recipe!) We are big Mexican cuisine fans, and I knew there would come a time when I created a recipe that featured tortilla chips for dinner. My husband LOVES tortilla chips, and while I enjoy nachos and such, I do not eat them nearly as often as he does. Today’s Mexican chicken casserole with tortilla chips is all about him! Layers of cheesy goodness, leftover chicken, and of course, tortilla chips.

There are a couple of things to think about when it comes to this Mexican chicken casserole. Your leftover chicken can come from anywhere: Think grilled chicken, roasted chicken, etc. It doesn’t even have to be chicken breasts! Any cut will do. Secondly, you don’t technically have to use leftover chicken. Just bake some chicken in the oven until fully cooked and follow the rest of the instructions accordingly. Since I have been making a ton of chicken recipes lately (check out my BBQ whole chicken with rhubarb BBQ sauce), we tend to have a lot of extra chicken hanging around. I have no complaints about revisiting this recipe the next time we have leftovers!

A smaller casserole dish is better here so that all the chips can be completely covered in cheese and sauce. However, you don’t want to go too small or you will have a hard time fitting all those ingredients in there! (I used a 1-1/2 quart dish, but 2 quart would have been better.) Additionally, this casserole with tortilla chips can be easily customized to suit your family’s needs and wants (so if you don’t like mushrooms, don’t add them)! :)

Mexican Chicken Casserole Modifications and Substitutions

I like to think of this recipe as a combination of nachos and Chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast dish. Due to its similarities to nachos it is easy to modify it as you would nachos.

• Switch up the meat. This recipe also works well with ground beef, ground turkey, chorizo, or leftover steak. There are so many great options. It can also be made completely vegetarian with plant-based chorizo or black or pinto beans instead of meat.
• Canned tomatillos can be swapped for canned tomatoes. If you do this, I recommend adding a little lime juice or 2 teaspoons of white vinegar to the sauce, as tomatillos have more acidity than regular tomatoes.
• Add more toppings. Black olives, black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, diced jalapenos, diced white onions, fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, and sour cream are all great additions after you remove the Mexican casserole from the oven.
• Swap the tortilla chips for brown rice. If you want something a little healthier, you can swap the tortilla chips with 4 cups of cooked brown or white rice. If you do this, I recommend adding a few crushed tortilla chips on top after baking to give the casserole a little crunch.
• Use enchilada sauce instead of making your own. If you are in a real rush, you can use enchilada sauce as a sauce substitution.

Why I love this Mexican Chicken Casserole Recipe

• Uses leftovers and pantry items. Who does not love recipes that can easily be made with leftovers and pantry items? This recipe is exactly that.
• Quick and easy. This recipe requires very little prep and can be made in just over 30 minutes.
• Easy to adapt. You can make this recipe your own, and it will still taste great. This Mexican chicken casserole recipe is very flexible.

Mexican Chicken Casserole Recipe with Tortilla Chips

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Dive into this Mexican Chicken Casserole loaded with cheese, tomatillos, and tortilla chips! This tasty recipe is great for using leftover chicken.

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

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• 2 cups leftover chicken (about 2 chicken breasts fully cooked and chopped)
• 1/2 pound tortilla chips
• 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
• 15 ounces canned tomatillos drained and diced
• 1/2 red pepper diced (optional)
• 1/4 cup button mushrooms diced (optional)

Sauce

• 3 ounces chipotles in adobo sauce (about half a 6.5 ounce can)
• 10 ounces canned cheddar cheese soup
• 1 medium onion peeled and halved
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon milk
• salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking dish (I used a 1 1/2 quart dish but a 2 quart dish would have been perfect!) and set aside.
2. Combine all the sauce ingredients into a food processor. Puree until smooth.
3. Layer the bottom of the pan with half the chips. Top with half the chicken, half the sauce, half the cheese, and half the tomatillos. Repeat again, but finish off with pepper and mushrooms if using.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, or until cheese is nicely melted and dish is heated through.

Notes

This recipe calls for leftover chicken to create a quick and easy meal! However, feel free to cook up a couple of chicken breasts at 350F for 20 minutes or so if you have no leftovers on hand!

• Author: Rosie
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 25
• Category: Casseroles, Dinner, Poultry
• Cuisine: Mexican

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