If you don’t have time to whip up a whole taco bar for Taco Tuesday, don’t you worry! This Chicken Taco Bake will do all the hard work for you, so you can actually enjoy this festive feast. Dip your fork into this cheesy, creamy Tex-Mex-inspired casserole that brings you all your favorites from tacos… but keeps your fingers clean! So, it’s cleaner and easier… and maybe even tastier?! We’ll let you be the judge. And with that, you must give this Chicken Taco Bake a try!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 2 cups chicken, cooked, chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- 1 1/2 cups tortilla chips, coarsely crumbled
- 1 cup tomatoes, finely chopped and drained, for topping
- 3 tablespoons sour cream, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Coat an 11×7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Step 3 –Combine the chili powder, the ground cumin, the onion powder, the paprika, the pepper, and the garlic powder in a small bowl.
Step 4 –Place the water and the bouillon cube in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high heat for 2 minutes.
Step 5 –Stir the water mixture until the bouillon cube has dissolved, then allow it to cool slightly.
Step 6 –Stir the milk into the water mixture.
Step 7 –Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbly, about 2 minutes.
Step 8 –Stir the flour into the butter, continuing to stir until the mixture is bubbly and thickens, about 2 minutes.
Step 9 –Gradually stir the water mixture into the flour mixture, and cook until it begins to boil and thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 10 –Transfer the sauce from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese.
Step 11 –In a bowl, combine the chicken, the black beans, the corn, the tomatoes with chiles, and the spice mixture and mix well.
Step 12 –Pour the chicken mixture into the cheese sauce and combine.
Step 13 –Pour the chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake, about 25 minutes.
Step 14 –Add the crumbled tortilla chips over the casserole, return to the oven, and bake until the casserole is bubbly and set, about 10 minutes.
Step 15 –Transfer the casserole from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
Step 16 –Evenly top the casserole with the remaining cheddar cheese and the chopped tomatoes, then dollop with the sour cream.
Step 17 –Serve.
