Monterey Chicken Casserole is an easy 30 minute meal! Creamed corn and sauteed vegetables are layered with chicken, cheese, salsa, and tortilla chips in this family friendly (and budget friendly) weeknight dinner with lots of Tex-Mex flavor.
1cupcheeseshredded. Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, or Cheddar all work well.
1cupOnionchopped
1cupGreen pepperchopped
¼cupFresh cilantro
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Oil a 13 x 9 inch pan.
Cut the chicken into uniform sized chunks.
Chop the onion and green pepper.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Saute the chicken in a hot pan with a little olive oil.
Add the onion and green pepper after about 5 minutes.
Saute until chicken is done (165F) and vegetables are tender.
Put half of the crumbled chips on the bottom of the casserole dish.
Add the chicken and vegetables.
Sprinkle with cilantro.
Pour the creamed corn over.
Sprinkle the half the cheese and the olives over the corn.
Spoon the salsa over.
Add another layer of crumbled chips and top with cheese.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.
Notes
Expert Tip: Keep your knife sharp and change cutting boards and knives between the chicken and the vegetables to prevent cross contamination. The more uniform the sizes of the chopped foods the better it will cook.
You can save time by starting with cooked chicken.
Substitute pork or turkey.
Monterey Chicken Casserole can be made ahead and even frozen - just leave the tortilla chips off the top until ready to bake.
If you don't have creamed corn use regular corn and add 1 can of undiluted cream of chicken soup. You may need to add ⅓ cup of milk to make it "saucy".
Vary the cheese. Pepper Jack or Cheddar work well.
I like to keep bags of chopped onions and peppers in the freezer to keep it easy and save even more time.
Garnish with green onions if you like them.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream or guac on top!
Store leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.