Chicken Tortilla Casserole
I seem to be on a one-dish crusade right now. I love serving a big dish of piping hot food family style and letting the kids just help themselves. This Chicken Tortilla Casserole is just like an Italian lasagna, but instead of using pasta sheets I used tortillas. The method is exactly the same and can be really rustic so don’t worry too much about making it look perfect. As long as it comes out of the oven with the melted cheese on top and the sauce bubbling around the edges of the dish, I’d say it was perfect!
The cheese I used was Cacique® Queso Quesadilla. It’s a fairly mild cheese with great melting qualities so this is the perfect recipe to try it out. Use the whole piece and fill up those layers between the tortillas. If you asked me to make this recipe even easier I’d say of course, you can construct the full recipe a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. As soon as you return home from work, just preheat the oven and dinner will be ready in about 45 minutes.
Serve this alongside some fresh made guacamole and salsa for an amazing dinner, just don’t expect there to be any leftover!
Note: Click the ‘Products‘ tab above to learn more about the Cacique® ingredients used in this recipe. You can find these ingredients near you by clicking the ‘Find Stores‘ tab, selecting the products you are looking for, and entering your zip code.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 large onion, chopped and diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (14.5oz each) tomato sauce
- 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 18 small corn tortillas
- 1 whole cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded well
- 1 whole round of Cacique® Queso Quesadilla Cheese, grated
- Salsa and fresh cilantro for garnishing
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large sauté pan, 10-12inches wide, heat the oil and add the onions and garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes over a medium heat and the onions turn soft. Add the tomato sauce, stock, and all of the spices. Stir thoroughly and simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a 13 x 9 inch oven proof baking dish, lay 6 of the tortillas on the bottom. Spread some of the chicken on top, followed by some sauce and then sprinkle some cheese on top. Lay another 6 tortillas on top of the cheese and repeat the process two more times, ending with cheese on top, ready for the oven.
- Bake in the oven, covered with foil for 35 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for a further 10 minutes and the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve at once with guacamole and fresh salsa.
