you're making mealtime meaningful.
A delicious and easy weeknight dinner requires just a handful of ingredients, a couple of simple steps, and a hungry crowd to gobble everything up. When we’re short on time but want to put a meal on the table that is colorful and hearty, then we look to recipes like this one: our cheesy chicken taco casserole. A few ingredients, a little slicing and dicing, and a few minutes in the oven are all we need to put out a meal that is sure to satisfy our hungry crowd. Take a look at what we do.
We turn to our pantry and spice drawer for some staple ingredients: canned products like corn, beans, and tomatoes, and from the spice drawer, a package of prepared taco seasoning. A handful of fresh ingredients really make this meal bright and flavorful, so bell peppers and onions really do the trick. We cook up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts, throw everything into a casserole dish and cover it with cheese. Finally, a few minutes in the oven to get the casserole all warm and the cheese all melted is all we need to finish off a great meal.
We like to change up our usual taco routine with this casserole version of one of our family’s favorite meals. While the rice makes helps to give the dish a little more substance, you can always serve this up with a bowl of tortilla chips on the side. And you can’t have a Mexican-inspired meal without some sliced avocado, sour cream, and salsa to serve alongside this absolutely amazing dish. Sure, taco night is super easy to put together, but when we’ve got the time to put in a little extra effort then this taco-night inspired casserole is the perfect solution.
Chicken Taco Casserole
Yield(s): Serves 4-6
40 minutes
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1-1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 1 (1.2 oz) package taco seasoning
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 bell peppers, any color, diced
- 2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilis
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large pan on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until just cooked through. Transfer to plate.
- In same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté bell peppers and onion until onions are just golden and peppers are softened. Return chicken to pan and add taco seasoning and add ¾ cup water. Bring to a simmer.
- Add diced tomatoes and cooked rice to prepared baking dish, toss in corn and beans. Top with cooked chicken and pepper mixture, spreading evenly around dish.
- Generously top with cheese and place in oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and just golden brown. Switch to broil setting for crisper cheese, if desired.
- Remove from oven and cool slightly, 5 minutes, before serving.
Recipe adapted from Suburban Simplicity