Mexico Chicken

This is one of my favorite weekend dishes because the leftovers are really good…and that’s something special coming from someone who usually won’t touch leftovers. I’m not sure where this came from originally, but my sister Andrea shared it with me a few years ago and we’ve enjoyed it ever since. I’ve tweaked things to my taste, so feel free to do the same yourself. This will serve 4-6 people.

Ingredients

  • Tortilla chips
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 can chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp of butter or margarine.
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and peppers
  • 1/2 lb Velveeta cheese
  • 2-3 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 (4 cup) bag shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • A few jalapeno slices to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil chicken breasts until fully cooked and tender (maybe 30 minutes). Using 2 forks shred the chicken breasts as you would pulled pork dishes.
  2. Saute onion, green pepper, and garlic in a tablespoon of butter until softened.
  3. Combine cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup and Rotel in a large sauce pot and heat to bubbling. Cut the Velveeta into cubes and add to the soup mixture. Add chili powder and cumin to the soup mixture. Stir the soup mixture until the Velveeta is melted being careful not to scorch the cheese.
  4. Line a large casserole dish (i.e. lasagna pan) with tortilla chips and crush them.
  5. Combine can of chicken broth and 1/2 cup water and heat in the microwave for a minute or so. Moisten the tortilla chips with the hot chicken broth.
  6. Place the shredded chicken in a layer on top of the moistened tortilla chips.
  7. Place the sauteed vegetables in a layer on top of the shredded chicken.
  8. Pour the soup mixture over the vegetables. Top with jalapenos if you like.
  9. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes until top just starts to brown and sides start to bubble.
  10. Add a layer of shredded Mexican cheese blend.
  11. Return to the oven just long enough for the shredded cheese to melt.
  12. Remove and let cool for a few minutes before serving.