Crispy, Spicy Chicken Casserole

Chicken, tortilla chips, cheese, onion, and various seasonings make for a crunchy, flavorful casserole—many of my family members like this delicious meal.

Gather tortilla chips (I like Julio's lime-seasoned chips best), a can of cream of mushroom and chicken soup, and Rotel, and set them aside. Along with 1 pound of cheese, you will need one onion, four rotisserie chicken breasts (or any other cooked chicken), and your preferred cooking method—season with salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and your favorite spices. Velveeta cheese is a popular option, but feel free to use any melty cheese you like most.

To get ready, dice up one onion. You can use any sum, but I always go for the maximum. Could you rip the chicken into little pieces and put them aside?

Mix the chicken soup, mushroom soup, and Rotel. So, season to taste. I use black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne without measuring. You may use as little as one teaspoon of each seasoning.

The preparations are complete, so let the festivities begin! Crush or spread a layer of tortilla chips in a 9x13 baking dish. The sum is up to you. On top of the tortilla chips, spread some shredded chicken. The next step is to add the onions and the soup/Rotel combination. I like incorporating onions into the soup ingredients for a uniformly oniony soup. You can put the ingredients in the casserole in whatever order, but the tortilla chips should go in first.

NOW! Shred some cheese and sprinkle it over the whole thing. You can use as little or as much as you like.

We will add another stack of tortillas, chicken, soup mixture, and cheese. When we finish the second layer, we will sprinkle crumbled or whole tortillas on top of the dish and sprinkle on even more cheese.

We are ready to pop the dish in the oven now. My oven is preheating to 350 degrees in preparation for a 30-minute bake time. If you plan on reheating this, you can bake it for 25 minutes. Your casserole will not dry out during reheating if you do this.

The casserole we made is finally done. Wait a few minutes so it can cool off, please. To maximize the flavor of cooked meat, let it rest for a few minutes after cooking.

Try making it a salad or combining ingredients with this mushy goodness to add flavor. Black beans are a staple on the side when I make this. Fresh tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, sour cream, pico de gallo, or other spicy sauces make a fantastic addition. Guacamole is another option for flavoring your meal. No matter the season, this recipe is a hit, so feel free to experiment with different ingredient combinations. Enjoy!