Cowboy Chicken Casserole

Now that I have less flexible work hours, I have to plan meals ahead over the weekends. For part of this week, R and I are dining on cowboy chicken casserole, or at least, my modification of such from an Emeril recipe.

To start, in a sauce pan, mix about 1 1/2 c chicken broth, 1 c water, 1/2 c white wine, a handful of cilantro stalks, the juice and hulls of two limes, salt, pepper, and oregano. Place 4 chicken breasts in the pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then let the chicken steep in the poaching liquid for 45 minutes on the back of the stove.

Meanwhile, crush many handfuls of tortilla chips and put at the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Once the chicken is fully cooked and steeped, pour one cup of the poaching liquid over the crushed chips.





Chop the cooked chicken, 1-2 onions, 1-2 bell peppers, and 1-2 jalapenos (or chipotles, as I used) and place over the chips.



Top this with shredded cheese, then place a layer of flour tortillas over the mix. Top with one can of drained and rinsed black beans, one can of drained corn, and one large can of diced tomatoes.



Top this layer with more cheese and more crushed tortilla chips.





Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Serve and enjoy. We found it tasted better the second day and with a dollop of sour cream.




If I were to make it again, I think I'd ditch the bottom mushy layer of corn chips - I didn't care for it - and replace it with more flour tortillas. I think I'd also make a cheese sauce versus just using shredded cheese. And finally, I think I'd use salsa instead of just canned tomatoes. But we really did enjoy it!