Chicken Taco Casserole

Taco night is a reliable crowd-pleaser, but the assembly line of shells, toppings, and sides can turn a quick dinner into a whole production.

This casserole takes everything you like about tacos and layers it into one dish you pull straight from the oven.

It’s the kind of meal that fits a busy Tuesday and still holds up when you have people coming over.

Everything bakes together, the flavors settle into each other, and cleanup comes down to a single pan.

If you keep a few pantry staples and some cooked chicken on hand, you’re most of the way there before you even start.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pan, one cleanup. No juggling shells, bowls, and skillets. It all goes into a single baking dish.
• Great for using up leftovers. Rotisserie chicken, that half bag of corn in the freezer, the odds and ends of cheese in your drawer all have a home here.
• Feeds a crowd on a budget. Beans, tortillas, and pantry staples stretch a small amount of chicken into a full dinner.
• Easy to make your own. Swap the beans, dial the heat up or down, or pile on whatever toppings your family likes.
• Reheats like a dream. Leftovers taste just as good the next day, which makes it a solid choice for meal prep.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie works well)
• 1 packet taco seasoning (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn, frozen or canned
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 8 corn tortillas, cut into strips (or 3 cups tortilla chips)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For serving: sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, diced avocado, and lime wedges.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute, until fragrant.

Add the shredded chicken, taco seasoning, drained tomatoes, black beans, corn, and salsa. Stir everything together and let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Scatter half of the tortilla strips across the bottom of the baking dish.

Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, then sprinkle with about a third of the cheese.

Repeat with the remaining tortilla strips and chicken mixture, then finish with the rest of the cheese on top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling.

Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving so it holds together on the plate.

Add your toppings, squeeze a little lime over the top, and dig in.

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