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Tasty Mexican Chicken Rice Casserole Recipe
If you have some leftover chicken, or even turkey, this is a simple and quick Mexican casserole recipe that you can make with it. Another alternative is to buy a roast chicken and shred it. If you are in a real rush, you can get tomatillo sauce from a Mexican grocery store or the Mexican food aisle in your store and add some green onions and cilantro to it. Tomatillos have a lemon-flavored, slightly acidic flavor and they are very mild. They are in the tomato family but have a different taste.
This delicious layered Mexican chicken casserole recipe has corn tortillas, chicken, cheese, a homemade tomatillo sauce, Serrano chili, cream and more. If you prefer a spicier flavor, you can use a whole Serrano chili instead of half. You can always adjust the spice level in easy chicken Mexican casseroles because not everyone likes a spicy taste and not everyone likes a very mild flavor either.
This Mexican chicken casserole makes a wonderful dinner for the whole family and you can make it in advance if you like and keep it in the refrigerator until dinner time, then just bake it until it is hot through and bubbling. This is a nutritious and well balanced dish and the flavor is authentically Mexican, so if you are looking for traditional Mexican food recipes, this Mexican chicken casserole recipe is a nice one to make.
Mexican Chicken Casserole with Tomatillos
Ingredients -
2 lbs quartered tomatillos
2 cups chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
4 cloves garlic
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 ¼ cup chicken broth
2 cups chopped green onions
12 corn tortillas, 6 inches wide
½ chopped Serrano chili
4 cups shredded roast chicken
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salt, as needed
6 cups cooked rice, to serve
Preparation:
Simmer the tomatillos with the garlic, broth and black pepper in a pan over a moderate to high heat for 10 minutes or until the tomatillos are soft.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and add the cilantro,
Serrano chili, and green onions. Blend the mixture to a coarse puree, and then add salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, and then arrange 6 tortillas over the bottom.
Top them with the chicken, then ⅓ of the cheese and then ½ the tomatillo sauce.
Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, the rest of the chicken and the rest of the cheese.
Pour the remaining tomatillo sauce on top, followed by the cream.
Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, then bake for about 25 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling.
Let it cool for 10 minutes, then serve with the rice and some sprigs of cilantro.
(Serves 8)
Photo Description:
This creamy, cheesy Mexican chicken casserole is simple to make and features the authentic flavor of tomatillos, which are great in many easy Mexican casseroles. If you like the flavor but you cannot find them easily, you can get canned tomatillos, which are fine for flavoring Mexican casserole recipes. This Mexican chicken rice casserole is made in layers and it goes nicely with boiled rice. Garnish it with some fresh cilantro and perhaps some sliced red chilies for color. Mexican casserole dishes make great meals for the whole family because they tend to be tasty, well balanced, and easy to prepare.
