Mexican Casserole

Mexican Casserole

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! If you read my post from last week, you will know that I am using the red enchilada sauce for today’s recipe! You can go back and read it and grab the recipe here. I’ll wait for you to come back. 🙂 Okay, now that you are ready, let’s make a Mexican casserole! Basically it’s kind of like a lazy enchilada recipe. I would say that this recipe is also on the healthy side of things! It has a lot of nutrients in it with roasted vegetables, shredded chicken, black beans and lots of spice to rev up that metabolism! I don’t know if there is evidence to back up the capsicum-metabolism-boosting theory but for today I am just going with it! I have to warn you – this dish doesn’t come out of the oven looking beautiful or anything like that. So even though I don’t think of myself as a fantastic food photographer (still learning lots!), I am warning that the photos may not look like this is an awesome dish, but trust me…. the flavours are outstanding!! I tested it out on my parents and husband, and it was a win!! 

Mexican Casserole

Mexican Casserole

To start, heat a large nonstick skillet with some oil over high heat. I am using avocado oil for a few reasons. It’s really good; it sticks with the Mexican theme; and it has a high smoke point. That means that I can sauté my vegetables on high heat and not worry about the oil burning. In comparison to avocado oil’s smoke point of 520 degrees F, extra virgin olive oil is 320 degrees F. There is a great chart online that shows all the oils and their smoke points and provides more information on the ill effects of going over the smoke point of your oil. 

Anyways, once your oil is heated, add in the onions, peppers and garlic and sprinkle with the spices and sauté for about 10 – 15 minutes while occasionally stirring.

Mexican Casserole

Once sautéed, remove and set aside and do the same with the corn and black beans. 

Mexican Casserole

For the chicken, I used a cooked chicken that I bought from the grocery store and shredded the meat. You could cook up your own chicken, or use grilled chicken breasts, or even ground chicken cooked with the same spices as the vegetables, corn and beans! Or, make it vegetarian and opt out of the chicken all together. 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Cut the tortillas into strips and start assembling the casserole. The layer order I used was: enchilada sauce, tortilla strips, sauteed vegetables, sauteed corn and black beans, shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, grated taco cheese and then repeat.

Mexican Casserole

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted. Serve with fresh guacamole, sour cream and salsa! 

Mexican Casserole

Mexican Casserole

Tasty Mexican casserole that is like a lasagna in it's layers, but tastes like enchiladas.
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
Author Chews and Brews

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. oil I am using avocado oil
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 green bell peppers
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp aleppo chilis
  • 1 tsp ancho chilis
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 6 medium flour tortillas cut into strips
  • 2 cups enchilada sauce I used my homemade sauce, posted last week
  • 2 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet or frying pan and add in the peppers, onions and garlic and sprinkle 1/2 the spices over top. Sauté for about 10 - 15 minutes while occasionally stirring. Once sautéed, remove and set aside.
  2. Heat remaining oil in pan and do the same with the corn and black beans with remaining spices.
  3. For the chicken, I used a cooked chicken that I bought from the grocery store and shredded the meat. You could cook up your own chicken, or use grilled chicken breasts, or even ground chicken cooked with the same spices as the vegetables, corn and beans! Or, make it vegetarian and opt out of the chicken all together.
  4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Cut the tortillas into strips and start assembling the casserole.

The layer order I used was

  1. Enchilada sauce, tortilla strips, sautéed vegetables, sautéed corn and black beans, shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, shredded Mexican cheese and then repeat. My dish allowed for two full layers.
  2. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted and slightly browning along the sides.
  3. Serve with fresh guacamole, sour cream and salsa!

Recipe Notes

Make this vegetarian by simply removing the chicken!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Mexican Casserole

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