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This Football Casserole combines hearty chicken and zesty toppings, perfect for game-night gatherings with friends.
The first time I made this Football Casserole was during an unforgettable game-night gathering. My partner and I had just moved into our new place, which came with a spacious living room perfect for hosting friends. As football season rolled around, I wanted to whip up something cozy yet impressive for our inaugural watch party. The combination of cubed chicken, draped in taco seasoning and seared to perfection, felt like the heart of the dish. I always make sure to dice the chicken evenly to ensure every piece cooks perfectly, avoiding any unpleasant surprises mid-bite.
In our pantry, cans of creamy soups are a staple. Their velvety texture brings everything together like the final pass for a touchdown. Adding diced tomatoes with green chilies gives a kick that kept our friends cheering, not just for the game but for every spoonful. A culinary trick I love is to drain and rinse the black beans thoroughly – this keeps the casserole from becoming watery and ensures it slices beautifully when served. The crushed tortilla chips not only add a lovely crunch but also make it easy to assemble the dish without much fuss. We topped everything with a mountain of Mexican-style cheese blend, letting it melt into gooey bliss.
That evening was a success, with guests asking for seconds and even thirds! Since then, this casserole has become a ritual for every game-night, forever reminding us of our cozy new beginning and the warmth of shared victories, both on and off the field.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
- 1 cup canned cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup canned cheddar cheese soup
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 (16-ounce) bag Mexican-style four cheese blend shredded, divided
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 6 cups tortilla chips lightly crushed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a cast-iron skillet.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a large bowl, add the cubed chicken, the oil, the salt, the pepper, and the taco seasoning and toss to combine.
- Pour the coated chicken pieces into the heated skillet and cook, flipping occasionally, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices run clear, about 7-10 minutes.
- Place the cooked chicken pieces on a plate.
- In a second large bowl, add the cream of chicken soup, the cheddar cheese soup, the tomatoes with green chilies and their juices, 3/4 of the cheese, the black beans, 1/4 cup of the cilantro and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked chicken to the soup mixture and stir to combine.
- Spread 1/3 of the crushed chips into the prepared cast-iron and top with 1/2 of the chicken mixture. Repeat the layers once, using 1/2 of the remaining crushed chips and the remaining chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining crushed chips and the remaining cheese.
- Bake the casserole until it is hot, bubbly, and melted, about 20-25 minutes.
- Serve the casserole garnished with the extra cilantro.
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