Salsa Verde Chicken Casserole (Printable)
Shredded chicken, salsa verde, beans and cheese layered with corn tortillas and baked until bubbly.
# What You'll Need:
→ Protein & Dairy
01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
02 - 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
03 - 1 cup sour cream
→ Vegetables & Condiments
04 - 1 (16 oz) jar salsa verde
05 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
06 - 1 ½ cups frozen or canned corn kernels, drained if necessary
07 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Starches
09 - 10 small corn tortillas, cut into strips
→ Seasonings
10 - 1 tsp ground cumin
11 - ½ tsp chili powder
12 - ½ tsp salt
13 - ¼ tsp black pepper
→ Toppings (optional)
14 - ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
15 - 1 avocado, sliced
16 - Lime wedges
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, stir together the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, chopped onion, garlic, half of the shredded cheese, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk the salsa verde and sour cream together until smooth and well blended.
04 - Spread a thin layer of the salsa verde sauce across the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Arrange half of the corn tortilla strips evenly over the sauce.
05 - Spread half of the chicken filling over the tortilla strips, then drizzle generously with additional salsa verde sauce.
06 - Repeat the layering: arrange the remaining tortilla strips, spread the remaining chicken filling on top, and pour the rest of the salsa verde sauce evenly over the surface.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining shredded Monterey Jack cheese evenly across the top of the casserole.
08 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden on top.
10 - Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh cilantro, avocado slices, and lime wedges if desired. Serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Salsa verde does all the heavy lifting for flavor so you barely have to season anything else.
- It reheats beautifully which means you actually want the leftovers.
02 -
- If you skip greasing the dish the tortillas will weld themselves to the bottom and you will be chiseling dinner.
- Do not skip the resting time because the casserole falls apart into soup if you cut into it too soon.
03 -
- Warm the salsa verde slightly before mixing with sour cream so it blends smoothly without clumping.
- Press down gently on the assembled casserole before baking so the sauce seeps into every gap and nothing dries out.