Description
Chicken Tortilla Spinach Casserole brings comfort straight from your kitchen to the dinner table. Creamy, cheesy layers combine with tender chicken and fresh spinach for a satisfying meal your family will devour.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 10 ounces spinach, fresh, roughly chopped
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 8 corn tortillas, 6-inch
Sauces and Seasonings:
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Garnishes:
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, salt, and pepper over your 2 chicken breasts. Massage the spices into the meat thoroughly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-safe skillet at medium-high temperature. Sear the seasoned chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Transfer the skillet to a 375F oven. Roast chicken for 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Allow chicken to cool for 5 minutes. Shred the meat using two forks into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Brush both sides of 8 corn tortillas with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet.
- Crisp tortillas at 350F for 5-7 minutes. They should be slightly stiff but still flexible.
- Sauté 1 chopped onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until translucent.
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook for 1 minute. Fold in 10 ounces chopped spinach and cook until wilted.
- Whisk 1 can cream of mushroom soup, ½ cup sour cream, and ¼ cup milk in a separate bowl until smooth.
- Pour soup mixture into the spinach skillet. Stir in ¼ cup cilantro, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread a thin layer of spinach mixture across the bottom.
- Layer 4 tortillas over the spinach filling, slightly overlapping the edges.
- Distribute half the shredded chicken across the tortillas. Cover with half the spinach mixture.
- Sprinkle 1 cup Monterey Jack and ½ cup cheddar cheese over the layer.
- Repeat layering with remaining tortillas, chicken, spinach mixture, and 1 cup Monterey Jack and ½ cup cheddar cheese.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue baking for 5-10 minutes until cheese turns golden and bubbly.
- Rest the casserole for 10-15 minutes after removing from the oven.
- Slice into squares. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and chopped green onions.
Notes
- Spice the chicken thoroughly to ensure deep flavor throughout the meat.
- Toast tortillas carefully to get a crisp texture without making them too hard or brittle.
- Let the casserole rest after baking so the layers settle and become more cohesive, which helps with cleaner serving.
- For a lighter version, swap cream of mushroom soup for Greek yogurt and use low-fat cheeses to reduce overall calories.
- Prep Time: 25-30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55-67 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 448 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg