Chicken Taco Casserole is a simple, satisfying meal that’s great for a weeknight. The ingredients list for this recipe includes five different cans, so it’s definitely a pantry recipe. I already had some cream cheese, sour cream and cheese in the refrigerator, so I was able to make this Chicken Taco Casserole without needing to go to the store.
If things were different, I might have added shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and some sour cream to the top of this when I served it, but that wasn’t possible this time. (I had used all of my sour cream in the recipe.) I am making a mental note to make this again and add those toppings when we have some lettuce and tomatoes growing in the garden or when I can go to the store.
Jump to RecipeWhat will you need to prepare this recipe?
From the Pantry
- Canned Chicken
- Diced Green Chilies
- Canned Corn
- Canned Black Beans
- Cumin
- Corn Tortillas
From the Refrigerator
- Cream Cheese
- Jack Cheese (or cheese of your choice)
I know that it may seem that we are eating a great deal of “Mexican” food during our 30 day pantry challenge, but I bought one of those huge packages of corn tortillas, and they’re getting stale. I want to use them before they mold. This recipe polished them off, but I should warn you that I have some crunchy taco shells in the pantry, so you might see more “Mexican” recipes. Besides, Mexican style foods are some of my family’s favorites.
Since my oven is still broken, and we can’t get a repair man out to fix it, we are relegated to baking in the toaster oven. I used a 9 inch round cake pan for this recipe, but I would encourage you to use a 9 inch square pan. That little bit of extra room will prevent the pan from overflowing in the oven. I anticipated this would happen, and put down foil to catch the spills. I’m glad I did.
We loved this recipe. There were only four of us eating that night, so I was certain that there would be leftovers, and there were. Sadly, there was just one tiny sliver left, but it wasn’t enough for my lunch. I guess someone didn’t want to take the last piece of the casserole. This recipe was a definite winner, and everyone said they would like to have it again sometime. Unfortunately, they’re going to have to wait until next month when I can go buy some more corn tortillas. (Unless I learn to make them. Hmm…Note to self: research recipes for making homemade corn tortillas.)
Chicken Taco Casserole can be served topped with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, black olives, sour cream, or guacamole. Basically, serve it topped with whatever you like to have on your tacos. I, unfortunately, had none of those things.
What do you think of our recipe for Chicken Taco Casserole? Does it sound like something your family would like? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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Chicken Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas ($0.50)
- 1 (10oz) can chicken breast drained ($2.48)
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese ($1.29)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.04)
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis ($0.59)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can whole kernel corn drained ($0.55)
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed ($0.69)
- ½ cup sour cream ($0.38)
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies ($0.65)
- 1 cup shredded jack cheese ($0.79)
Instructions
- Allow cream cheese to soften slightly by letting it set at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- Open can of chicken and drain, reserving broth to use in another recipe. (Store broth in fridge or freezer depending on how soon you'll use it.)
- Drain canned corn and set aside.
- Drain and rinse canned black beans and set aside.
- Open can of diced green chilies.
- Mix chicken, cream cheese, cumin, and diced green chilis together until thoroughly combined.
- Layer four corn tortillas in the bottom of a 9X9 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. You may have to cut or tear the tortillas to cover the entire bottom of the pan.
- Place 1/2 of the chicken mixture onto the layer of tortillas, gently pressing it out to evenly cover the tortillas on the bottom of the pan.
- Pour 1/2 of the drained corn over the chicken mixture and distribute it evenly.
- Pour 1/2 of the drained black beans over the corn and distribute them evenly.
- Place another layer of four corn tortillas over the black beans, cutting and tearing as necessary to cover the entire surface.
- Place the remaining chicken mixture onto the layer of tortillas, gently pressing it out to evenly cover the tortillas.
- Pour the remaining drained corn over the chicken mixture and distribute it evenly.
- Pour the remaining drained black beans over the corn and distribute them evenly.
- Cover the bean layer with the last four corn tortillas, once again, tearing or cutting to cover the entire surface.
- Mix sour cream with diced tomatoes with green chilies.
- Pour the can of diced tomatoes with green chilies over the top of the casserole gently spreading it to cover the entire surface.
- Cover the top with one cup of shredded cheese. (We used Jack, but Cheddar will work, too.)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until cheese is melted and casserole is heated all the way through.
- Allow to set for five to ten minutes, so it's easier to get whole pieces out when serving.
- Serve topped with your favorite taco toppings–lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole, green onions, olives, etc.
Nutrition information was calculated for 1/8th of the Chicken Taco Casserole prepared according to the recipe above.
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is calculated using online tools such as those available at cronometer.com or verywellfit.com. We make every attempt to ensure that this information is calculated correctly, but this information should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. In addition, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition-fact sources, databases, and the algorithms used. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful. Under no circumstances will PattyCakesPantry.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information provided.
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