green chile chicken tortilla casserole

(1 rating)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Laura Yoder
Brunswick, GA

Once again, I found myself not knowing what to make for supper. So, I took inventory of what I had on hand, and this is what I came up with. And let me tell you.... it is delicious! And it reheats very well! You can find the Mexican quesadilla, Cotija cheese, and Crema Mexicana in the Mexican section of the dairy case in Walmart. Or if you have a local Mexican grocery store, you will find all the ingredients there, too.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Serve with a side salad and this chicken tortilla casserole is a complete meal. This hearty Tex-Mex casserole is full of spice and flavor. It reminds us of a chicken enchilada casserole. Between the cheese and the crema, this casserole is almost creamy. The green enchilada sauce and green chiles add wonderful flavor to the dish.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(1 rating)
yield 8 -10
prep time 1 Hr
cook time 1 Hr
method Bake

Ingredients For green chile chicken tortilla casserole

  • 3
    large chicken breast with skin and bones
  • 1 tsp
    Better Than Bouillon chicken base paste
  • 1 tsp
    ancho chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp
    chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground red pepper
  • 1 tsp
    garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    cilantro, fresh or freeze dried
  • 1 can
    chopped green chiles (small can, 4.5 oz)
  • 3/4 c
    chicken stock
  • 1 can
    green chile enchilada sauce (28 oz)
  • 1 jar
    crema Mexican cream (similar to sour cream)
  • 2 c
    shredded white Mexican quesadilla cheese
  • 1 c
    Mexican cotija grated cheese
  • 18
    white corn tortillas

How To Make green chile chicken tortilla casserole

Test Kitchen Tips
Our stores were out of Mexican quesadilla cheese. We substituted with a combination of Monterey Jack and queso fresco.
  • Boiling chicken in a stock pot.
    1
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Boil chicken in a large stock pot until tender and falling off of the bone.
  • Adding Better Than Bouillon to chicken stock.
    2
    Remove chicken from pot and add 1 tsp Better than Bouillon chicken paste to make a rich stock.
  • Pouring stock over shredded chicken in a bowl.
    3
    Shred chicken and put it in a large bowl. Add 3/4 c chicken stock to the chicken.
  • Spices added to the chicken.
    4
    Add the spices and toss until the chicken is coated.
  • Adding green chiles and enchilada sauce to the chicken.
    5
    Add chopped green chiles and 1/2 c green chile enchilada sauce. Stir well.
  • Adding cheese and Crema to the chicken.
    6
    Add 1 cup of shredded quesadilla cheese, 3/4 cup Crema Mexicana (about 1/3 of the jar), and 1/2 c grated Cotija cheese to the chicken mixture and stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Set aside.
  • Tortillas cut into strips.
    7
    Cut corn tortillas into strips and set them aside.
  • Green chile sauce poured into a baking dish.
    8
    In your sprayed casserole, dish pour just enough green chile sauce to coat the bottom.
  • A layer of the chicken mixture, Crema, and cheese in the pan.
    9
    Add a layer of the chicken mixture. Then drizzle with more Crema and sprinkle with some of the grated cheese and quesadilla cheese.
  • Layer of tortilla strips and enchilada sauce added.
    10
    Cover this layer with strips of tortillas and a little bit of chile sauce.
  • Layers repeated in the baking dish.
    11
    Repeat until you have about 3 layers ending with a layer of chicken mixture topped with green chile sauce and cheeses. Then drizzle with Crema.
  • Baking dish covered in foil and baking in the oven.
    12
    Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole ready to serve.
    13
    It's great with no toppings at all or you can top it with green salsa verde, black olives, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomatoes if you wish.
ADVERTISEMENT