Thursday, September 24, 2009

Chicken Tortilla Casserole


While normally I would say that I'm not a huge fan of casseroles, this one wins a thumbs up from me. Cans of cream of whatever soup, overcooked meat, mushy noodles, tons of cheese (ok well that part does sound good to me)... just not my thing.

I actually made this for my brother-in-law and mom when I was visiting my sister when she had surgery earlier in the month. I made it again for Joey this week, and he was a huge fan as well. Supposedly it serves 2, but I really think it makes enough for 3, even 4, especially if you also serve a salad or some rice and beans.

I love that it uses tortilla chips, and cooks them in batches. The first half goes in with some chicken broth and chicken while it cooks; the remainder is then mixed in and remains nice and crispy. I like to use the multigrain chips because I think they have more flavor and texture. Another hit from Cook's Illustrated, and another use for my new favorite, chipotle peppers.

Tortilla Casserole
adapted from Cook's Illustrated
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 shallot, minced (about 3 Tablespoons)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I use 1 pepper)
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 5 cups tortilla chips, broken into pieces
  • 1 tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped
  • 4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded (1 cup)
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Heat the broiler and adjust rack to about 6 inches from heating source.

Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a 10-inch oven safe skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the chicken and cook on both sides until golden-brown, 5-7 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining oil, shallot, garlic, chipotle, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and scrape of browned bits, and bring to a simmer.

Stir in half the tortilla chips. Nestle the chicken into the broth and cook over medium low heat until cooked through (reading 160 on a thermometer), about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, and when cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces.

Return the shredded chicken to the skillet with the tomato, 1/2 cup cheese, and 1 Tablespoon of the cilantro. Stir in the other half of the tortilla chips until they are incorporated and moistened.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and broil until the cheese is melted and browning, 2-3 minutes. Top with remaining cilantro and serve, allowing casserole to cool 5 minutes.


18 comments:

Liz said...

My husband would love this! Great photo!

Carrie said...

I'm not a huge fan of casseroles either, but this one sounds and looks really great! I love all of those ingredients.

mickey said...

We too are not casserole fans and I only make the drier versions. This one looks like something I can sneak by- looks so good, I will let you know how it goes.

Cookie said...

My honey would love this too!

Memória said...

This dish looks delicious. What a tantalizing photo!

test it comm said...

That looks tasty! I like this use of tortilla chips.

Archana said...

Just made this dish....it is DELICIOUS!!! I added a bit of sour cream as a topping..thanks for a great recipe!

Anonymous said...

HI! When you take the chicken out of the pan (to shred in step 3) do you turn off the flame at that point or keep the other ingredients cooking?

Thanks!

Josie said...

Anonymous,
I believe I removed the pan from heat at that point. I hope you enjoy it!
Josie

Anonymous said...

I made this the other night and it was great!

Anonymous said...

This is a favorite of mine! Very yummy!

branny said...

I just made this - and adapted the heck out of it. But I really appreciated a recipe to be inspired. I used salsa instead of tomato, cut the amount of chicken in half, and added black beans and corn.

Blind Brokers Network said...

I always try to find out new dishes to prepare. Thanks for sharing new dish for me to try.

carpet cleaning maroubra said...

I made this the other night and it was great! Very yummy!

invest in China said...

Ooooh! I am going to have to try these! look so yummy!

mortgage broker melbourne said...

This dish looks delicious.I like this use of tortilla chips.

thumb in plum said...

This looks way better than nachos. I wanna try to make these with blue corn chips!

Laura said...

This was yum, but a tad bit bland for our taste...next time I will add another chipotle pepper. I added black beans and topped with avocado, sour cream, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

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