Chicken Tortilla Casserole

It’s kind of a misnomer to call this dish a ‘casserole’ – in reality is is really baked chicken nachos (it’s not ultimate nachos – but still pretty darn good).   This is a dish that I’ve made in the past and forgot about until recently.   And now that I a food blog to keep track of recipes I like – hopefully it will not be so long until I make this again.   One thing I did to make this meal easier on a weeknight – was that I cooked the chicken breast earlier in the week – when I was making something else for dinner.   That make this come together in no time at all – and good thing since my husband would eat the entire dish of these if I let him.   

Also, this would be a perfect dish to make for the Superbowl coming up – it’s fulfilling enough for a meal – but at the same time its kind-of snacky – so you can leave room for other treats to enjoy while you watch the game.   

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion , minced
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans , rinsed
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
• 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 5 cups tortilla chips (3 ounces)
• 2 cups shredded cheese (pepperjack, monterrey jack, cheddar, etc..)

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add chicken broth and bring to simmer.

4.  Stir beans, tomatoes, and chipotle into sauce and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.

5. Stir in chicken, 3 tablespoons cilantro, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

6. Spread 1 cup tortilla chips over bottom of 9x13-inch baking dish and top with 1 cup chicken mixture. Spread 2 more cups tortilla chips into dish and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Spread remaining chicken mixture into dish and top with remaining tortilla chips. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over top.

7. Bake until cheese is golden brown and casserole is bubbling, abut 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro before serving.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated

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