Description
This Fiesta Chicken Casserole is a flavorful and hearty dish perfect for family dinners. Combining tender rotini pasta, shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and a zesty sour cream and salsa sauce, it’s topped with melted Colby Jack cheese for a cheesy finish. Baked to bubbly perfection, this casserole brings bold Tex-Mex flavors to your table in just 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 2 ½ cups uncooked rotini pasta
Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 packet mild taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Mix-ins
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 ½ cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
Cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheese (such as Colby Jack), divided
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Dish: Heat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Boil rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, adding about 1 teaspoon of salt to the water for seasoning. Drain the pasta but do not rinse it to retain starch for better sauce adherence.
- Combine Sauce Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mix sour cream, salsa, mild taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder until well combined, creating a tangy and flavorful sauce base.
- Add Pasta and Mix-ins: Add the drained pasta to the sauce mixture and stir gently to coat evenly. Then fold in the drained corn, rinsed black beans, cooked shredded chicken, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese, mixing thoroughly.
- Assemble Casserole: Transfer the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese on top of the casserole to create a cheesy crust.
- Bake: Cover the dish with tin foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to allow the cheese to brown and bubble.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve hot. Optionally garnish with extra sour cream, diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and avocado slices for added freshness and flavor.
Notes
- Do not rinse the pasta after cooking; rinsing removes starch that helps sauce adhere to the noodles.
- Use mild taco seasoning if you prefer less heat, or swap with medium/hot for more spice.
- Leftover casserole can be refrigerated for 3-4 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
- To make it vegetarian, substitute cooked chicken with extra beans or a plant-based protein.
- Fresh toppings like cilantro and avocado add brightness but are optional.
