Mexican Chicken Casserole

School starts next week, remotely, and I have never worked so hard in August to prepare for a school year. Three weeks of lesson planning and supply preparation and caregiver communication and co-teaching coordination. I know what each of my students needs and I have a plan for each of them. Whether the plans will hold is a different question. Plans rarely hold exactly. But you have to have one to know what you are adapting from.

I made a big batch of freezer meals this week in anticipation of the school year starting, which is a thing I read about online and have been meaning to try for years. Assembled six portions each of: a chicken enchilada casserole, a lasagna with Italian sausage, and a freezer soup base that you just thaw and finish with broth and whatever vegetables you have. Total cost for all of it: around forty-five dollars. Enough food for at least eighteen dinners. Ryan watched me label and stack the containers and said it looked like I was provisioning for a siege. I said I was provisioning for September, which is the same thing.

The wedding date is set. Patty called me on Wednesday and said she needed a specific date to book the ceremony time at St. Linus and I said June 19th, which was the first date I said that felt right. Ryan happened to be home and I put him on the phone with Patty and he also said June 19th, independently, and Patty said good, she already had it penciled in. Ryan looked at me. I shrugged. This is Patty. We work around this. June 19th, 2021. That is the date.

The blog post was the freezer meal system — all three recipes, plus how to freeze and thaw them properly. It is a long post and one of the most useful things I have written. My readers are teachers and nurses and parents and people who are exhausted in every specific way 2020 offers. The freezer meal post feels like it is for all of them.

The chicken enchilada casserole was the one Ryan kept eyeing in the freezer first—he is not subtle about these things—and honestly it was my favorite of the three to assemble because it came together so fast and smelled like something worth looking forward to. This Mexican Chicken Casserole is the version I landed on after testing a few: enough structure to hold up to freezing, enough flavor that you don’t feel like you’re eating a compromise, and simple enough that you can make six of them on a Saturday afternoon without losing your mind. If you are provisioning for September, this is where I would start.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
8 small corn tortillas, cut into quarters
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnish: fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, additional sour cream

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. If freezing, line the dish with foil for easy removal after assembly.
Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with chiles, black beans, corn, taco seasoning, sour cream, and garlic powder. Stir until everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Layer the casserole. Spread a thin layer of the chicken mixture across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange half the quartered tortillas in an even layer over the filling. Top with half the remaining chicken mixture, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
Add the second layer. Arrange the remaining tortilla pieces over the cheese layer. Spread the rest of the chicken mixture on top and finish with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown at the edges.
Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, and a dollop of sour cream if desired.
To freeze. After assembly (before baking), cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. Label with the date and baking instructions. Freeze for up to 3 months. To cook from frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed above, adding 10–15 minutes to the covered bake time.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mexican Chicken Casserole — The Freezer Meal That Survived September