Mexican Casserole

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This Mexican casserole is made with chicken, vegetables, tortillas and cheese, all in a zesty creamy sauce. An easy dinner to feed a crowd, and it takes just minutes to put together!

When life gets really busy, I look for meal options that can be assembled ahead of time to make dinner time a little easier. This Mexican casserole can be made up to one day before you plan to serve it. When you’re ready to eat, just bake and enjoy!

This year, one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to do more meal prep. I often find myself scurrying to come up with a dinner plan an hour before it’s time to eat, and that can be stressful to say the least! I’m taking the time to assemble as many meals as possible in advance, like this cheesy, hearty Mexican casserole.

How do you make Mexican casserole?

This recipe starts with cooked chicken and a bag of frozen vegetables. You can use leftover chicken, roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, whatever you have on hand! The chicken and vegetables are mixed together along with a can of enchilada sauce and some sour cream to form the base of the casserole. The chicken mixture is alternated with layers of flour tortillas and cheese for the ultimate casserole.

I use frozen vegetables and refrigerated dairy products because they taste great and save on prep time. For this dish, I’ve used Land O’Lakes butter, Daisy sour cream, Birdseye C&W vegetables and Kraft shredded cheese.

I use The Ultimate Southwest Blend of frozen veggies, which is a combination of corn, black beans, peppers and onions. It eliminates the need to chop a bunch of ingredients which is perfect for when you’re in a hurry. Not only that, but frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of freshness, which means they make for delicious meals. I often rely on frozen vegetables for cooking because they’re convenient, nutritious and there are so many different varieties. There are literally thousands of different frozen products, from frozen fruits and veggies to desserts. I also feel like I’m getting a great value with frozen foods, as I can just use what I need and put the rest back in the freezer for later use; no more worrying about using produce before it spoils!

I incorporated a few products from the dairy aisle into this recipe because they’re a wholesome choice for my family. Dairy products contain real ingredients and are high in protein and calcium, perfect for my growing children. With such a wide variety of choices, there are so many different ways to add a little dairy into every day cooking!

Tips for Mexican Casserole

• I use flour tortillas in this casserole because my family prefers them. That being said, you can substitute corn tortillas, or even do a layer of crushed tortilla chips.
• To make this casserole in advance, assemble all the layers, then cover the casserole dish with foil and refrigerate for up to one day. When it’s time to eat, follow the baking instructions in the recipe, but add 15 minutes more to the bake time to compensate for starting with a cold casserole.
• You can serve your casserole as-is, or add some toppings such as diced tomatoes, cilantro, lettuce, sour cream, avocado or sliced olives.

Mexican casserole variations

Sometimes I make this casserole with different ingredients, depending on what I have on hand. You can easily customize this recipe to your family’s tastes!

• Beef: Use 1 1/2 pounds cooked ground beef instead of chicken.
• Taco Casserole: Use 1 1/2 cups taco sauce instead of enchilada sauce.
• Spicy: Use hot enchilada sauce and try Kraft Pepper Jack shredded cheese instead of Mexican Style.

This recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd. The recipe can easily be doubled to feed a bigger group, or if you have a smaller family, you can halve the recipe and bake it in an 8-inch square pan.

Looking for more quick and easy dinner options? Be sure to check out the Easy Home Meals website by NFRA for more great recipe ideas. Easy Home Meals was created as a way to provide recipes, cooking pointers, product information and giveaways to home cooks. You can also follow Easy Home Meals on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for more culinary inspiration.

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4.88 from 8 votes

Mexican Casserole

This Mexican casserole is made with chicken, vegetables, tortillas and cheese, all in a zesty creamy sauce. An easy dinner to feed a crowd, and it takes just minutes to put together!

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword mexican casserole, mexican chicken casserole

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 435kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Land O'Lakes butter
• 14 ounce bag Birdseye C&W Ultimate Southwest Blend
• 4 cups cooked, diced chicken
• 10 ounce can mild enchilada sauce
• 1 cup Daisy sour cream plus more for garnish
• 8 ounce bag Kraft Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
• 8 flour tortillas soft taco size, cut into squares
• 3/4 cup tomatoes seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves chopped
• cooking spray

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 2 or 3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the bag of vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes or until thawed.
• Add the chicken to the pan and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until warmed through.
• Place the chicken and vegetables in a large bowl. Add the enchilada sauce, sour cream, and half of the bag of cheese. Stir to combine.
• Spread 1/3 of the tortilla pieces in the bottom of the dish. Add half of the chicken mixture, then top with another 1/3 of the tortillas.
• Add the remaining chicken, then top with the rest of the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is melted.
• Top with tomatoes and cilantro, then serve.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Assemble the casserole, then cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 428mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 18.8% | Vitamin C: 9% | Calcium: 32.7% | Iron: 14.5%