Mexican Chicken Casserole

Recipe by The Gourmet RD

This cheese-filled and cheese-topped Mexican casserole is ready in less than 30 minutes, which means it’s weeknight-perfection stuffed in an adorable casserole dish. With cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 3 tbsp taco seasoning (divided)
• 1 lb chicken breast (boneless and skinless )
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 15 oz can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
• ½ cup cooked corn
• 2 bell peppers (seeded and sliced or diced)
• 2 10 oz. cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (drained)
• 4 oz can diced green chilies
• 4 oz can diced jalapenos (optional)
• 10 oz can salsa verde
• dash coarse salt and ground black pepper
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 4 oz Pepper Jack cheese (shredded)
• cilantro, green onion, avocado, plain Greek yogurt for garnish
• tortilla chips for serving

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium heat. Season chicken breasts with 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning.
   
   Place chicken in the hot skillet and saute 3-5 minutes on each side, until chicken is browned and juices run clear. Remove from the pan and allow to rest 5-10 minutes.
   
   Chop chicken into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces, brown rice, pinto beans, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, green chilies, jalapenos {if using}, salsa verde, remaining taco seasoning and a dash of salt and pepper.
   
   Stir in half of both cheeses. Place mixture into a greased baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
   
   Top casserole with cilantro, green onion, avocado and/or Greek yogurt and serve with tortilla chips.

View the recipe instructions at The Gourmet RD