Mexican Chicken Casserole

Chicken cornbread casserole partially eaten.

5 from 1 vote

This Mexican chicken casserole is a cross between a tamale pie and a chicken enchilada. It uses pre-cooked shredded chicken for convenience, and the cornbread topping gives it a delicious crust. This dish is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken casserole with cornbread topping, Mexican chicken casserole, shredded chicken casserole

Servings:

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Casserole

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon El Mariachi seasoning see notes
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 can 20 ounces enchilada sauce
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1-½ cups frozen corn
1 can black beans drained
1 can 7-ounces diced green chiles
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Cornbread Topping

1-½ cups cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1-½ teaspoons salt
1-¼ cups buttermilk or milk
6 tablespoons butter melted
2 eggs
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Instructions

For the Chicken Casserole

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spray a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish (3-1/2 quart dish) with non-stick cooking spray.
Heat the oil in a large 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Add the seasoning blend, flour, and salt. Stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute then pour in the enchilada sauce. Cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the shredded chicken, corn, beans, chiles, and cheese.
Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.

Make the Cornbread Topping

Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs.
Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture then fold in the shredded cheese.
Pour the batter over the top of the chicken casserole and spread it out.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

You can substitute the El Mariachi seasoning with the following blend:

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

You can substitute a can of corn for the frozen corn.

If your skillet isn’t large enough to hold all the ingredients when you stir the chicken into the sauce, transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir the chicken, corn, beans, chiles, and cheese together in the bowl.

Nutrition