When I was growing up, we had a family friend named Henry Espinoza who frequently stopped by our house unannounced. The best part was that he would often be carrying a hot pizza from our favorite local pizza shop—Big O! (I know most people think of tires when they hear Big O. Not me! I think of pizza.) I can still remember hearing Henry whistle as he approached our house. My sister and I would dash over to the window, and when we saw Henry with a pizza perched high on one hand, we gleefully called out, “It’s Henry, and he brought a pizza!” Another great thing about Henry was that he liked to cook. He was from Mexico, and he developed this casserole recipe himself. It’s been one of our family favorites since I was a kid.
To make Henry’s Chicken Casserole, you’ll need chicken, corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, canned whole green chiles, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, salsa, milk, green onions, garlic, oregano, and black pepper. Start by boiling the chicken breasts in water until thoroughly cooked, and then shred them. Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, chop the green onions, and mince the garlic.
In a large bowl, combine the soups, milk, and salsa with a whire whisk. Add the mushrooms, green onions, garlic, oregano, and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
Cut the tortillas into quarters.
Wash the chiles and remove the seeds. I usually run my finger along one side of the chile to open it up, and then I just wash the seeds away with the running water. Dry them on paper towels. Grate the cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350. In a large buttered casserole dish, layer 1/2 of the tortillas, the shredded chicken, the remaining tortillas, the whole chiles, the sauce, and the grated cheese.
Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.
Delicious!!!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds chicken breasts or tenders cooked and shredded
- 12 corn tortillas cut into quarters
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup milk
- 1-1/4 cups mild salsa
- 8 ounces of mushrooms sliced
- 1 bunch of green onions chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper or less if you don’t like it spicy
- 2 7- oz. cans whole green chiles rinsed and seeds removed
- 1 pound cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Boil the chicken breasts in water until thoroughly cooked, and then shred them. Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, chop the green onions, and mince the garlic. In a large bowl, combine the soups, milk, and salsa with a whire whisk. Add the mushrooms, green onions, garlic, oregano, and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside. Cut the tortillas into quarters. Wash the chiles and remove the seeds. I usually run my finger along one side of the chile to open it up, and then I just wash the seeds away with the running water. Dry them on paper towels. Grate the cheese. Preheat the oven to 350. In a large buttered casserole dish, layer 1/2 of the tortillas, the shredded chicken, the remaining tortillas, the whole chiles, the sauce, and the grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.
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