Green Chili Tortilla Chip Bake – it’s a crazy idea, but one that works! And it’s so low effort with a huge payoff: A big, hearty casserole that will make you think you’re eating Chilaquiles, Enchiladas, Nachos, or all of them rolled together into each bite.
The Nacho layer, IMHO, really “makes” the casserole.
Green Chili Tortilla Chip Bake isn’t my original concept, but I’ve adopted it and adapted it and “made it my own,” so to speak! It’s fabulous to make during for Cinco de Mayo or any Summer Holiday, especially when the tortilla chips are on sale everywhere – and everyone wants party food.
About Green Chili Tortilla Chip Casserole:
This is an easy dish: multiple layers of tortilla chips, chicken, cheese, and your basic large can of green enchilada sauce. If you know the old “King Ranch Casserole“, the concept is similar.
But if you’re a “texture” person like me, you’ll get why I love using tortilla chips instead of actual tortillas in this recipe. Those layered chips soften beautifully but don’t read as “soggy.” They’ll remind you of masa. Maybe I need to add tamales to my list, above!
And if you’re thinking all that sounds good so far, I went one better and topped the dish with what is basically a gorgeous layer of crispy, ooey-gooey nachos on top. It’s like the best of everything to love about our American versions of Mexican food, only reinvented.
Green Chili Tortilla Chip Bake – after the first bake, top with more chips, cheese, and tiny splatters of reserved enchilada sauce. The sauce keeps the cheese moist and gooey.
Making Green Chili Tortilla Chip Casserole:
This took several tries to get just right. No complaints, all were good, but this one is but this one is perfect. The key is just the right sauce-to-chip ratio. Too few chips make a soggy mess, too many make the casserole hard and dry. You’ll need two bags, and you’ll need to estimate how much to use in the casserole by the #of ounces on the package. (Unless you have a kitchen scale.)
There’s also an obnoxious amount of cheese and a lot of chicken, but keep in mind, this is a big, hearty casserole that can serve up to eight.
Use whatever chicken you want. I prefer boneless breasts, and I poach them. Leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken works too. The chicken is one ingredient where the amounts can be fudged a bit.
The cheese, I estimated as I made, using big handfuls, making sure to have full coverage on each layer. I had picked up a bargain bag and used it with wild abandon, lol! I think my recipe is pretty close. Use too much, and the recipe might be a little stodgy; too little, and it’s not nearly as good. Just make sure there’s a good layer on the top.
Do try to get a little bit of the reserved sauce on each chip; it helps the cheese melt and stay melty, so it won’t harden as it cools.
I want to thank the creator who inspired my version, Cecilia Navarrette.
My favorite toppings, a little chunky taco sauce, sour cream, onions for much needed crunch.
Poaching and Shredding the Chicken:
If using breasts and they are huge, slice them in half horizontally. If using thighs, trim any potentially offensive portions. Place in a saucepan, fill with cold water about two inches over the chicken. Add seasoning, a little salt, a few peppercorns, a little garlic/and or onion powder, sazon, or any seasoning you’d like. About 1/2 teaspoon of each should do it.
Slowly bring up to a bare simmer and hold at that simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary. Timing will vary, so just keep an eye on it. Don’t overcook or it will be dry in the casserole. If time allows, cool in the water. If not, lay out on a board or plate, in one layer, to cool. It’s easier to shred by hand or with a mixer before it’s completely cold.
Serving Green Chili Tortilla Chip Bake:
The dish is just a little sloppy right out of the oven, and that’s when it’s at its best. It does firm up as it cools.
- Any of your favorite condiments can be added; I love Pico de Gallo or chunky taco sauce to contrast with the green chili tomatillo enchilada sauce. White or Red Onion add freshness and much-needed crunch.
- For other sides, my Simple Canned Refried Beans and/or my Restaurant Style Mexican Rice will never be wrong.
Leftover Green Chili Tortilla Chip Bake:
- Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days.
- Once leftover, the dish tightens up; the best solution is to reheat servings in a shallow bowl drizzled with about three tablespoons of water. Cover tightly and microwave 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.
- Freezing has not been tested.
Other Green Chili Recipes You Might Like:
Both of these recipes use green enchilada sauce, the first recipe with homemade, while the soup relies on canned. Just click the tag green chili on the bottom of the page for more green chili or Mexican & Southwestern recipes.
- Chicken Chilaquiles Verde – a fabulous breakfast/brunch or maybe a get home after an evening out (I’m too old; I’m only surmising!) recipe.
Chicken Chilaquiles Verde
- Green Chili Enchilda Soup – pantry items build the backbone, along with a little leftover, rotisserie, or simply poached chicken. Quick, easy, and a family favorite.
Easy Green Enchilada Soup
Winning at the Grocery:
The secret isn’t always where you shop, it’s when. Take advantage of discount stores like Aldi and Lidl. Buyers’ clubs excel in quality, but not every item is a bargain; shop strategically. And keep an eye on traditional grocery store sales.
Most ingredients have predictable sales cycles. Learning those patterns can make a bigger difference to your grocery budget than chasing sales and coupons alone.
I try to buy ingredients at their best value and keep enough on hand to avoid paying top price later. It’s a simple idea, but it saved me far more than any coupon ever did. Learn how to maximize this idea in my Winning at the Grocery series.
Here’s how Winning at the Grocery plays out in my kitchen. A great holiday sale on tortilla chips inspired this recipe, but the real savings came from ingredients I regularly use and purchased at great prices over time. The chicken, cheese, and enchilada sauce were bought weeks or months earlier, just waiting for the right recipe to come along.
Tortilla Chips:
Are one of those items I rarely buy at full price. Since they’re more of a treat than a staple, I try to time my indulgences to the right sale.
- Best pricing usually appears around Cinco de Mayo, summer holidays, and the Super Bowl. That’s often when a recipe like this finds its way onto my menu, and a couple of bags get stashed for snacks.
- Off-brand restaurant-style chips are usually better and less expensive than name brands, but couponers might find excellent deals on the major brands during promotions.
- If you’re feeling ambitious, Homemade Tortilla Chips are a great option and cost so much less than bagged chips. They’re also a great way to use older tortillas.
Chicken:
Chicken is one of the easier proteins to buy at a great price; it follows a predictable sales cycle. About once a quarter, prices dip enough that I pay attention.
- Boneless, skinless thighs are usually the best value, followed by boneless, skinless breasts. Among bone-in options, breasts generally offer a better value than thighs.
- It’s tempting to think the bones are “free” because they can be used for stock, but they still add weight you’re paying for. Unless bone-in chicken is deeply discounted, boneless sales are often the better buy.
- Discount stores like Aldi and Lidl are always worth checking, but some of the deepest discounts still show up in traditional grocery store ads.
Grocery Cheese:
You’ll rarely open my fridge and not find at least a couple of types of cheese tucked away. It’s one of my favorite items to buy on sale: it keeps well and finds its way into all kinds of meals.
- On plain old grocery cheese, discount stores usually have the best pricing, especially on sale, but always compare by the price per ounce and know what the lows in your area are.
- Sometimes blocks are cheaper than sliced or shredded cheese. Again, compare by the ounce. At Lidl, they’re often priced the same. At Aldi, shredded cheese can actually cost less.
- Unopened cheese keeps for weeks in the refrigerator and freezes surprisingly well. Shreds thaw beautifully, but block cheese can be a little crumbly. It’s best used for casseroles and cooked dishes.
This Green Chili Tortilla Chip Bake is the top contender for my favorite recipe of the year. We’ll see what the future holds, so be sure to like, follow, share, and most of all, visit. I hope you love this just recipe as much as I have!
Mollie
Green Chili Tortilla Chip Bake – do you want a bite?
Green Chili Tortilla Chip Bake
Already a family favorite, and the surprise is that it’s based on tortilla chips.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish Chicken
- Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, poached in seasoned water and roughly shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 4 to 6 cups)
- 6 cups (1 1/2 pounds) finely grated Colby Jack or Cheddar Jack cheese
- 22 to 23 ounces of thin Restaurant-style tortilla chips (more than 1 package; estimate by the size of the package)
- 1 large can (1 pound, 8 ounces) green enchilada sauce
- For serving, pico de gallo or taco sauce, finely chopped onion, red or white, sour cream, and cilantro
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. (200°C) Spray a large baking dish liberally.
Note: spraying well helps with the crispy edges and keeps the melty cheese from sticking.
First, remove about 1/3 of a cup of the enchilada sauce and reserve it for the top.
Begin layering ingredients; you’ll assemble three layers, then add a nacho topping with the remaining ingredients.
- Lay down a layer of tortilla chips, about a 1/4 of them, covering the bottom.
- Top with 1/3 of chicken
- Top with 1/4 of the cheese
- Drizzle with 1/3 of the remaining enchilada sauce
When the third layer is finished, you should still have 1/4 of the cheese, 1/4 of the chips, and the reserved 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce. Set that aside for now.
Cover with foil and heat for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through, and the cheese is melted. It’s easy to check by placing a butter knife in the center and immediately removing it. It should come out hot. If not, give it a few more minutes. Keep the oven on.
Arrange a final layer of tortillas over the top, top with the rest of the cheese, and lightly drizzle the reserved 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce over the casserole, aiming for just a bit here and there over the cheese. There will not be full coverage, and there shouldn’t be large amounts in any one area.
Place the casserole, uncovered, in the oven for several minutes to melt the cheese on top. If it’s not melting in five or six minutes, briefly increase the heat to about 450 degrees F., but watch very closely to prevent burning. (Save that foil to cover any leftovers in the casserole later, if you wish.)
Best served immediately; it will not cut or stay in neat squares. It will firm up as it cools.
Leftovers will be firm; the tortilla chips continue to absorb liquid. Best to reheat servings on a small plate or shallow bowl. Drizzle with about 3 tablespoons of water, cover tightly, and microwave 2 1/2 to 3 minutes until heated through and the water is absorbed. If needed, add a bit more water and/or place back in the microwave for about 30 seconds longer.
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