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You haven’t lived until you’ve tried this tasty cowboy chicken casserole recipe. It’s creamy, cheesy, and full of zesty flavors that’ll transport you to the American Southwest. This hearty casserole is so good you’ll be saying, “yee-haw!” after one bite!

a plate of cowboy chicken casserole

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

There’s a new delicious casserole in town, and it comes with chicken, beans, tomatoes, chilis, and corn, topped with cheese, and baked in a creamy sauce to absolute perfection.

If that alone hasn’t sold you, know that this cowboy casserole recipe is made all in one casserole dish! Leaving you with fewer dishes to clean. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Whether you have it as a side or the main course, this casserole will satisfy all your comfort food cravings. It’s easy and cheesy, giving you the best of both worlds!

Why You’ll Love this Chicken Casserole Recipe:

  • Mess-Free Meal: All you need is a mixing bowl and a casserole dish to make this simple recipe! 
  • Great Taste: Filled with fresh ingredients and topped with crunchy tortilla strips, this casserole has it all.
  • Instant Favorite: This casserole tastes just like nachos but better! It’s a dish the whole family will enjoy!

How to Make Cowboy Chicken Casserole

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Stir the casserole ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
  3. Assemble the casserole dish. Layering tortilla strips on the bottom and evenly spreading the chicken mixture on top.
  4. Next, layer the remaining tortilla strips on top of the chicken mixture and top with cheese. Cover with a piece of foil sprayed with cooking spray.
  5. Bake according to the instructions below (see recipe card). Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving, garnished with sour cream and cilantro. Enjoy!
how to make cowboy chicken casserole step by step photo instructions
What is cowboy chicken casserole?

Cowboy chicken casserole is a creamy Tex-Mex casserole consisting of cubed cooked chicken, tomatoes and chilies, black beans, corn, tortilla strips, and cheese.

What kind of chicken should I use for cowboy chicken casserole?

I like cubed or shredded chicken. A pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is the easiest and quickest option. However, you can also make your own shredded chicken and spice it how you like.

Can I make cowboy chicken casserole with frozen corn?

Absolutely! You can use fresh or frozen corn in place of the canned corn. No need to defrost!

How do I layer cowboy chicken casserole?

First, mix together the soup, chicken broth, spices, Rotel, beans, corn, and chicken in a large bowl. Layer half of the tortilla strips on the bottom of the casserole dish, add the chicken mixture, then top with the remaining tortilla strips and cheese.

Recipe Tip

The size of your casserole dish matters! A dish that is too small can cause your filling to overflow, and a dish that is too big will reduce quickly and dry out your casserole.

When in doubt, if your casserole fills to be about 3/4 full, you’ve got the right size. For this recipe, make sure that you have a 9×13 casserole dish!

casserole made with chicken, corn, beans, and tortillas

Make Ahead Instructions

This casserole can be fully assembled in advance and refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to 3 months before baking. If frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover cowboy chicken casserole tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven covered with aluminum foil for 20-30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.

Freezing Instructions

Freeze cowboy chicken casserole tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Substitutions

  • In place of the cream of chicken soup, you could use cream of mushroom or cream of celery.
  • In place of the chicken broth, you can use water.
  • Leave out the chili powder and swap the Rotel for diced tomatoes if you don’t like spice!
  • You can use fresh or frozen corn in place of canned; no need to thaw.
  • You can use a shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cooked cubed chicken.
  • You can use flour tortillas in place of corn if you prefer.
  • Feel free to switch up the cheese; a Mexican blend would be great!
  • You can also top this casserole with frozen tater tots before baking!

Serving Suggestions

Cowboy chicken casserole is great as a meal, or serve it with:

overhead view of cowboy chicken casserole in a baking dish

Casseroles are a great way to make a tasty yet effortless meal. We hope this cowboy chicken casserole adds a little kick of flavor to your weeknight dinner! 

Did you make any variations to the recipe? We’d love to know how it turned out. Let us know in the comments below!

If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!

cowboy chicken casserole

Cowboy Chicken Casserole Recipe

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried this cowboy chicken casserole recipe! It’s creamy, cheesy, and full of zesty flavors of the Southwest.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

  • Stir the soup, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, Rotel, beans, corn, and chicken in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

    10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup, ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 10.5 ounces diced tomatoes and chilies (Rotel), 15 ounces black beans, 15 ounces yellow corn, 2 cups cooked chicken, Kosher salt, Ground black pepper

  • Layer half of the tortilla strips in the bottom of the casserole dish, then pour the chicken mixture over the top, spreading it in an even layer.

    6 corn tortillas

  • Layer the remaining tortilla strips on top of the chicken mixture. Top with the cheeses. Cover the baking dish with a piece of foil sprayed with cooking spray.

    ½ cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup freshly shredded Monterey jack cheese

  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the casserole is warmed through.

  • Remove the foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes until the cheese is browned.

  • Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving, garnished with sour cream and cilantro.

    Sour cream, Fresh cilantro

Notes

  • In place of the cream of chicken soup, you could use cream of mushroom or cream of celery.
  • In place of the chicken broth, you can use water.
  • Leave out the chili powder and swap the Rotel for diced tomatoes if you don’t like spice!
  • You can use fresh or frozen corn in place of canned; no need to thaw.
  • You can use a shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cooked cubed chicken.
  • You can use flour tortillas in place of corn if you prefer.
  • Feel free to switch up the cheese; a Mexican blend would be great!
  • You can also top this casserole with frozen tater tots before baking!
  • Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.

Storage: Store cowboy chicken casserole tightly wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Cowboy Chicken Casserole Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 383
Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 57mg19%

Sodium 1108mg48%

Potassium 613mg18%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 442IU9%

Vitamin C 8mg10%

Calcium 219mg22%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.



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