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Southwest Chicken Casserole

Mexican lasagna meets enchiladas in this Southwest-style casserole! With shredded chicken, gooey cheese, black beans, and corn, it's hearty, easy, and the perfect family-friendly main dish for dinner.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 581kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 cups shredded chicken (or pulled rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 can black beans (15.5 ounce) drained and rinsed
  • 1 can corn (15 ounce) drained
  • 1 can chopped green chiles (4 ounce)
  • 28 ounces red enchilada sauce (1 extra large can)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 10 corn tortillas

Toppings (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400˚F.
  • Combine the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, green chiles, and half of the enchilada sauce in a large bowl and mix to combine.
  • Pour half of the remaining enchilada sauce in an 9x9 inch casserole dish and spread to cover the bottom. Lay half of the tortillas in the bottom of the dish. You can cut the tortillas to fit if needed.
  • Add half the chicken mixture, then top with half the cheese. Repeat with tortillas, meat, and cheese. Drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and the casserole is hot throughout.
  • Garnish with your choice of chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, or pico de gallo.

Notes

Substitutions:
  • Shredded Chicken – I love to use store-bought rotisserie chicken to keep it simple! You could use any leftover chicken that is neutrally flavored (like fried chicken) or Mexican-inspired in flavor.
  • Red Enchilada Sauce – I like Las Palmas, but you can use your preferred brand or it is easy to make homemade enchilada sauce too!
  • Cheddar Cheese – I love to use sharp cheddar cheese for this but Mexican blend, Monterey jack or Colby jack would work great too!
  • Corn Tortillas – Enjoying this enchilada casserole with corn shells is my preferred way to make this recipe as corn tortillas are authentic to the southwest flavor. I generally use 8 regular-size corn tortillas, but if you can find the street-size corn taco shells, they fit the best and you will use around 14. If you need to, feel free to cut the tortillas to get them to fit perfectly to cover the layers.
How to Store: To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
  • in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
  • in the freezer up to a month
How to Reheat:
Reheat leftover Casserole:
  • in the microwave on 30 second increments, stirring in between, until heated through.
  • In the oven at 350˚F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
How to Freeze: You can freeze this recipe either before or after cooking. Check the post above for full directions for both methods.
To Scale: This recipe can be doubled and made in a 9x13 inch casserole dish to feed 6-8.

Nutrition

Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1559mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1505IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 333mg | Iron: 4mg