(Not a Hotdish) It's Chicken Fajita Casserole

I am going to betray my Midwest roots here by offering a casserole for today’s post. A chicken-fajita casserole but a casserole none the less. Do I call it a hotdish? Hell no. I only went to college in Minnesota — I’m not from there.

jwa wanted tacos. I wanted to put something in the oven. This was a compromise. Kind of tacoey but baked, warm and gooey and good. Perfect for the chillier weather we are having now.

Chicken Fajita Casserole
(This could easily be vegetarian — just omit the chicken)
8 or so corn tortillas, however many you will need to make two layers in
a lasagna-sized baking dish
1 can of refried beans (black beans or kidney
beans would work too), warmed up so that they are easier to spread
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 medium zucchinis, chopped
1 medium white onion, cut into rings and then halved
3/4 – 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can diced tomatoes
a few dashes of Tabasco
1/4 cup light cream cheese
Garnish: fresh cilantro and sour cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add the chile powder, cumin, salt and oregano in a shallow bowl. Trim any extra fat from the chicken and dredge the breasts in the spices. I add a sprinkle of kosher salt to the top too. Cook in a pan over medium heat, in the oil, until done. Remove from the pan and let cool. When it is cool enough to handle, slice into pieces.

Add the vegetables (onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchinis and jalapeno) to the pan you just cooked the chicken in and saute until soft and the veggies start to brown, 7-9 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Into the same pan, add the canned tomatoes and the cream cheese. Let the cream cheese melt and thicken up the sauce. Hit it with a bit of the Tabasco. Set aside (this is a theme).

New pan time
Blister your tortillas in another, smaller pan over high heat. Halve a few of them to line your baking dish easier.

Spread the beans over the bottom layer of tortillas and then add then layer your chicken on top of the beans. Add about 1/4 of the grated cheese and then the vegetables.

Cover with the second layer of tortillas and then pour your tomato/cream cheese sauce over the tortillas. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for about 30 minutes.

Let sit about 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with chopped cilantro and sour cream. Yeah, it’ll be a little messy coming out of the dish, it still tastes good though!

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We are off to Ashland for a long weekend of restaurants, Shakespeare and walking around the town. Should be very fun! I really like Ashland — especially our traditional first night dinner at the Winchester Inn. Little mini beef Wellingtons, here we come!