A close up of food, with Blog and Casserole

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What’s for dinner? I suggest Mexican Casserole with Chicken. It’s easy, cheesy, and it has the best flavor!
HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Variations on Mexican Casserole
JUMP TO RECIPE

What’s for dinner? I suggest Mexican Casserole with Chicken. It’s easy, cheesy, and it has the best flavor!

You will find a layered and baked casserole is one of the simplest ways to get a good dinner on the table, pronto. Make it with Rotel so you can dial the spicy heat up or down and I predict this Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe will become a family favorite for all ages.
I am giving you my favorite, fastest method of making this chicken casserole, Mexican style, but I am also including some tasty variations I have made. No matter what, the dish always gets rave reviews.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This Mexican Casserole with Chicken casserole is so easy, once you make it you probably won’t need the recipe. You don’t really have to use precise measurements so whether you are a laid-back kind of cook or just in a hurry, you will enjoy the ease of the dump-and-go possibilities!

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut two or three chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.Mix everything in a large bowl: Start with the chicken, add Rotel tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, tortillas (or tortilla chips), shredded cheese, olives, and onion.

A note about the tortillas: I have used flour and corn tortillas. They both work, it is just a matter of personal preference. You can tear them into bite-sized pieces or stack a few on a cutting board and use a pizza wheel to make quick work of it.

Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Empty the bowl’s contents into the casserole dish.

Cover it with foil and bake for an hour, removing the foil during the last ten minutes.

And that is dinner!

This dish also freezes well so you can pop leftovers in the freezer (if you have any!) for a future meal or even plan ahead and make a double batch. I always take it out of the freezer the day before I want to serve it so it’s ready to warm up in the oven.

And if I don’t have a spare casserole dish for the freezer, I just put it in a freezer-safe container and then warm it in a pan on the stovetop.

Variations on Mexican Casserole

Because variety. #spiceoflife. And because you might not have these specific recipe ingredients.

First, you can use chicken thighs instead of breasts. Or substitute turkey if you want to stick with poultry.
Or forgo the poultry and make this dish with ground beef or even venison. However, I always brown the beef with onion before I add the other ingredients. Leftover shredded roast or shredded pork can be substituted, too.
I have also included black beans and refried beans on occasion, especially if company is joining us and I want to stretch the dish a little. A can of corn adds more flavor, color, and bulk.
If you don’t have Rotel tomatoes, use tomatoes and chilies or salsa. Tweak the flavor with jalapeno peppers, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, cilantro, or coriander.
Cheese substitutions are fine too. Colby, Monterey Jack, asiago, and Romano are possibilities. Pepper Jack is a favorite at our house.
When company is joining us, I like to serve portions on beds of lettuce and top it with guacamole and sour cream. Add a few sliced green onions, halved cherry tomatoes and extra olive slices. Delicious and colorful!
Another modification is forgoing the tortillas and topping it with packaged mashed potatoes. I especially like the bacon and chipotle cheddar flavor. Just prepare them according to the package directions and spoon them over the casserole before you put it in the oven.
And a corn bread mix is another topper we like. Or sometimes I might bake cornbread as an accompaniment.

Add Mexican Casserole with Chicken (or beef) to your menu rotation and you’ll soon discover your family’s favorite combination.

The bottom line: This south-of-the border casserole is a crowd pleaser that is easy on the cook, too. Easy, cheesy and it has the best flavor!