Mexican Chicken Bake

This Tex-Mex chicken casserole starts with a whole fryer cooked until tender, then layers the shredded meat with cheddar, tomatoes, onions, and chili powder between broth-softened flour tortillas. Two cream soups (chicken and mushroom) get poured over everything before it bakes into a bubbling, cheesy dish.

Softening the tortillas in the hot chicken broth is the key step. It makes them pliable enough to line the baking dish without cracking, and they soak up that rich, chickeny liquid. They turn silky and almost noodle-like as the casserole bakes.

Save that cooking broth. Besides softening the tortillas, it’s packed with flavor and can be used as the base for soup later.

Kitchen Tips

• Fry the whole chicken first, then pull the meat. This gives you more flavorful, juicier chicken than using pre-cooked or rotisserie. But rotisserie works in a pinch if you’re short on time.
• Grate the cheddar yourself from a block. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking powder that prevents it from melting smoothly.
• Don’t overlap the tortillas too much when lining the dish. You want a single layer that covers the bottom with just slight overlap at the edges.
• Check at 30 minutes. Once the edges are bubbling and the cheese on top is golden, it’s ready.

Variations

• Swap cream soups for a can of green chile enchilada sauce for a lighter, more authentic flavor.
• Add a can of drained green chiles to the chicken mixture for extra heat.
• Use corn tortillas instead of flour for a more traditional enchilada-style casserole.