Easy Chicken Taco Casserole

I made this dinner one night when work was a little busy. I really wanted some Mexican flavor but I also wanted something quick.

Easy Chicken Taco Casserole
a Julie original

1 pound chicken breasts cut up into bite size pieces
1 small can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can green chiles, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
1 container Pace Salsa
1 cup taco shredded cheese blend
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning to skillet. Then add corn, beans, and chiles and mix thoroughly.
3. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Place chicken mixture into casserole dish. Cover with salsa and then with shredded cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

It does actually taste better than it looks. Casseroles just don't photograph well.

Mexican Casserole

I found this recipe on Sparkpeople.com a couple of years ago and it quickly became one of our favorites. I probably make this dish at least once every other month (probably closer to once every 6 weeks or so) and it is one of my comfort foods.

I dont have a picture because last night my husband made it and since it is close I was on the couch, nursing the baby, with my laptop on my free side working so couldn't quite get the camera within reach to snap a photo, but casseroles don't photograph well in general so I figure it's fine. Take my word though, this is very yummy!

Mexican Casserole
adapted from Sparkpeople.com

1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 package Uncle Ben's ready rice - Whole Grain santa fe flavor
Tostitos, crushed
Taco seasoned shredded cheese
Other desired taco toppings - we use just sour cream but you could use guacamole if you like it too.

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Brown meat in skillet. Near end of browning add in onion and cook until translucent. Drain off fat.
3. Add in taco seasoning and mix well. Add in bag of rice and then cream of mushroom soup and tomatoes and mix well.
4. Add layer of crushed tostitos to the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Top with half of the meat mixture. Then add another layer of crushed tostitos and top with remaining meat mixture. Put taco cheese over top the whole thing and cover pan with aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted.
6. Serve with sour cream on top.

Yummy!

Very Belated Cinco de Mayo

Last week was close week and it really got away from me so I am just now getting a chance to post my Cinco de Mayo recipes. We had a potluck celebration at work (the bad economy has made us prepare food to pass instead of having lunch brought in). I brought in two recipes and had zero leftovers.

Bean and Corn Salsa
Makes 16 (1/4 cup) servings

3 cups chopped seeded tomatoes (about 3 medium)
3/4 cup Vidalia or other sweet onion (I used a red onion for the color)
1/2 cup chopped tomatillos (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed & drained
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce

Combine all and chill for at least 2 hours. (I chilled mine overnight).

Source: Southern Living Magazine, August 2005



Mexican Cornbread

1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided (I used canola oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 1/2 cups cornmeal mix
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add onion and next 4 ingredients. Saute 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool.
2. Stir together cornmeal mix, next 5 ingredients, and 1/4 cup oil until blended. Stir in onion mixture.
3. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet 10 minutes. (I did not have one so I omitted this step). Pour cornmeal mixture into skillet (I sprayed a 9x13 glass dish with nonstick cooking spray and then poured mixture in.)
4. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until done (Due to different pan mine was done after 20 minutes).

Source: Southern Living Magazine, November 2001

This was DELICIOUS! I'm not much of a salsa fan but the cornbread was fabulous! I think it would go great alongside a bowl of chili. I will definitely be making it again.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

I LOVE Mexican food. I could probably eat it every day. So needless to say I don't need a holiday like Cinco de Mayo to put me in the mood for Mexican flavors but I'll use it.

Even though it is close week they are having a Cinco de Mayo celebration potluck at work today. I'll have to share the recipes for the salsa and southwestern cornbread I made for that tomorrow once I download the pictures off the camera. But in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo I did make this casserole a couple of weeks ago so I will post it.

Now it's nothing great to look at, and was quite simple to make, but it tasted great.

Taco Bake

1 box macaroni & cheese, plus ingredients to prepare per box
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I used Colby Jack)
1 cup salsa

1. Heat oven to 400F. Prepare mac & cheese as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, brown beef with taco seasoning. Drain fat as necessary.
2. Stir sour cream into prepared mac & cheese. Spoon 1/2 mac & cheese mixture into 8-inch square baking dish. Top with layers of meat mixture, 1 cup cheese, and remaining mac & cheese mixture; cover with foil.
3. Bake 15 minutes; top with salsa and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Source: Kraftfoods.com