This recipe came about when I was looking for things to make and freeze for the deer shack a few years ago. I wanted something Mexican, freezer friendly, and full of flavor. Now I probably wanted Mexican because I already had other recipes that covered Asian, Italian, good old American and wanted a little bit of variety. We might not have running water, but we’ve got a propane stove and we eat good at deer camp. After all, if you’re going to sit in the cold all day, you’ve got to look forward to something – besides shooting a deer of course. Back to my Mexican craving, I decided that a deconstructed burrito casserole was the way to go.
This casserole is layers of your favorite burrito ingredients: cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and of course Chipotle chicken. The best part is that it’s just as good when you make it fresh as it is when you bake it from frozen. Now that it’s become a favorite, I almost always make two, one for the day I make it and another for later to keep in the freezer.
Here’s what you need:
You’re going to want premade cilantro lime rice and chipotle chicken.
After that the only other thing we need to cook is the tomato and onion mixture. I got this part of the recipe from somewhere online but for the life of me can’t remember or find the link to it. If it sounds familiar to anyone shoot me a note and I’ll make sure to give credit where credit is due.
Start by sautéing some onion for a couple minutes over medium heat. When the onion is translucent, add some garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in some chopped roma tomatoes, cumin and paprika. Cook for about 4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down.
Now the rest of the casserole is just about layering. I am making two, 8×8 pans, this would also make one, 9×13. Start by putting down a thin layer of salsa verde. Then add a flour tortilla, breaking or tearing as needed to fit the bottom of the pan. I suppose if you wanted to follow the shape of the tortilla you could do this in a cake pan too.
Next comes cilantro lime rice.
Followed by your tomato mixture, then corn, and chipotle chicken. Fresh or frozen corn works well here.
Next a sprinkle of black beans. Or more than a sprinkle if you really like beans, I am still learning. Finally cheese and some red enchilada sauce.
Top with another tortilla.
Then more salsa verde and enchilada sauce. A final sprinkle of cheese is always a good way to finish a dish too.
Check out all the layers and deliciousness going on from the side view.
Now, I made 1 pan to eat today and one pan to freeze. For the pan you freeze, after you top it with the tortilla, I hold off on adding the salsa verde, enchilada sauce and cheese. Instead I put these into Ziploc bags and set them on top of the tortilla. Then you can either cover the pan with foil, or I found these cool expandable bags (#CommissionsEarned) for my foodsaver that work amazing for freezing casseroles.
If frozen, thaw before cooking. You could probably bake from frozen too – I’ve just never tried so don’t have times for you.
Bake covered at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until hot.
Serve with lettuce, sour cream and avocado.
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 t paprika
- 2 t cumin
- 16 oz jar, salsa verde
- 6, 8 inch flour tortillas (about)
- Cilantro lime rice (from 1 ½ c uncooked rice)
- 2 c corn (fresh and cut off the cob or frozen)
- 4 chipotle chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
- Black beans, up to 1 can
- 2 c shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 10 oz can red enchilada sauce
- Toppings:
- Lettuce
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a 10 inch skillet, heat a little oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tomatoes, paprika, and cumin. Cook for about 4 minutes until the tomatoes soften and just start to break down.
- In your pans layer just enough salsa verde to coat the bottom. Add a single layer of tortillas, tearing as needed to make and even layer.
- Top with cilantro lime rice, tomato mixture, corn, chicken, black beans, 1 ½ c cheese, and most of the enchilada sauce. Save just enough to drizzle on top (reserve maybe a quarter to a third).
- Top with another layer or tortillas. Drizzle with remaining salsa verde and enchilada sauce. Top with remaining cheese.
- If freezing: Stop after the last tortilla layer. Put salsa verde, enchilada sauce, and remaining cheese into separate Ziploc bags. Place on top of tortillas and cover tightly with foil or vacuum seal. Thaw before baking.
- Bake for 20 minutes covered with foil. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes until hot.
- Serve slices with lettuce, sour cream, and avocado.
[…] Serve the chicken alongside cilantro-lime rice, in a taco, in a burrito or burrito bowl or like I will post next in a burrito casserole. […]