If you have a crowd that’s hard to please, turn to a dish that has crowd-pleasing in its name! Thumbs-Up Casserole is sure to earn the 5-star rating you’ve been longing for. This Tex-Mex dish bakes together all your taco night favorites; think chicken, beans, veggies, and cheese, with a little chili-and-cheese-flavored crunch thanks to some corn chips. What’s not to love about that mouthwatering combo?! Everyone with a plate is sure to give Thumbs-Up Casserole two thumbs up and hey, that’s all you can ever ask for!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can corn, drained
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 1 (10-ounce) bag chili-and-cheese-flavored corn chips
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Step 4 –Add the onion to the melted butter and cool until it has softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 –Add the chicken, the black beans, the corn, the cream of chicken soup, the tomatoes with green chilies, the green chiles, the cream cheese, and 1/3 cup of the cilantro to the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
Step 6 –Spread 1/4 of the corn chips on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 7 –Top the corn chips with 1/2 of the chicken mixture then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheddar cheese.
Step 8 –Repeat the layers once, starting with the corn chips and ending with the cheddar cheese.
Step 9 –Top the cheese layer with the remaining corn chips and the remaining cheddar cheese.
Step 10 –Bake the casserole until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Step 11 –Transfer the casserole from the oven, cover, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Step 12 –Serve the casserole garnished with the extra cilantro.
