Mexican Chicken Tortilla Casserole

 

This casserole is easy to put together, and it's full on kicked- up flavor!   I know I've told you guys many times, that we must have at least one Southwestern or Mexican inspired meal each week.  Well, sometimes more than one....but, I digress....This was the casserole that satisfied this weeks craving for "Mexican food for dinner" at our house.  Layers of tortilla chips, roasted chicken and a creamy, dreamy nacho sauce...topped off with lots of melted cheese, of course.  And, there you have it.... it's Fiesta night at our house!

You'll need:
3 cups of chopped roasted chicken
2 cups of Mexican cheese [I used Kraft Mexican Queso Quesadilla]
1 [14.5 oz] can of chili style tomatoes
1 [10 3/4 oz] can  fiesta nacho soup
1 [10 3/4 oz] can  cream of chicken with herbs soup
2 [9 3/4 oz] bags of flavored tortilla chips [see cooks note below]
1 medium poblano pepper
1 small red pepper
1 medium sweet onion
1/2 cup of half & half
2 1/2 Tbs. taco seasoning [I used McCormick's]
salt and black pepper
assorted toppings: sour cream, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, cilantro



Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a medium stove top pot, saute the chopped onion, red pepper, and poblano pepper in a drizzle of olive oil.  Season with salt and black pepper to your taste.  Cook until the veggies are just beginning to brown.

While the veggies are cooking, layer the tortilla chips in the baking dish.  I like to stand some of the chips around the sides of the dish to create a festive border.  I used more than my 9 3/4 oz. bag of tortilla chips, so have an extra bag on hand.  The chip layer should fully cover the bottom and sides of the dish, overlapping, as you see in the picture below.  [see cook's note for more information about the chips]

After the peppers and onions have begun to brown, add one tablespoon of minced garlic and the canned chili tomatoes to the pot.  Cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, this step usually takes around 3-5 minutes.   We love the "chunky" texture of the tomatoes in this dish.  If you prefer a finer texture, just pulse the tomatoes a few times in your food processor before adding to the pot.

After the tomatoes have broken down and released some of their liquid, add the chopped chicken, 1/2 cup of half and half, both cans of soup, and the taco seasoning.  Stir with a large spoon, until combined.

Remove from the heat and add one cup of Queso Quesadilla shredded cheese.

Pour the filling evenly over the tortilla chips in the dish.  Sprinkle with the remaining one cup of shredded cheese.

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.

 

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with your favorite toppings.  Yield: 8 servings

 

Cook's note:
The flavor of tortilla chips that I used were Tostitos Artisan Grilled Red Pepper and Tomato Salsa.  They come in various sizes, and flavors, but, the most common size is a 9 3/4 oz. bag.  This wasn't quite enough for my casserole, so, have an extra bag on hand. If you're unable to find the same flavor, your favorite would work perfectly.   A very good substitute would be Grandes Salsa Limon.