Photo: Cowboy Chicken Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound white button mushrooms, wiped clean and stems trimmed, quartered
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 12 cups tortilla chips
- 2 cups finely chopped onions
- 1 cup finely chopped bell peppers
- 2 jalapeno peppers, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped, optional
- 8 ounces grated Pepper Jack
- 8 ounces grated Cheddar
- 1 tablespoon Emeril's Southwest Seasoning, recipe follows
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup chopped drained canned tomatoes
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
Directions
Combine the chicken, chicken stock, wine, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the oregano, and bay leaves in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the poaching liquid for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and tear or cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve the chicken. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over high heat until foamy. Add the mushrooms, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are golden brown and all the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the flour, stir to blend, and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken cooking liquid, stir, and cook until very thick and flavorful, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Place the tortilla chips in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass casserole. Crush the chips with your hands so they form a thin layer on the bottom of the dish. Pour 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid over the tortilla chips and allow them to soak up the liquid. Scatter the chicken over the top of the tortilla layer. Spread the chopped onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos evenly over the chicken. Top with half of the grated cheeses. Sprinkle with the Southwest Seasoning, chili powder and ground cumin. Spoon the reserved mushroom mixture evenly over the top of the spices, then top with the tomatoes and green chiles. Cover with the remainder of the cheeses. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the casserole is heated through. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Tip: This casserole may be prepared in advance and frozen until ready to use. Simply allow it to thaw 1 day in the refrigerator and come to room temperature before baking.
Emeril's Southwest Seasoning:
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 1/2 cup
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By afloflin
on April 21, 2012
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Very good! And yes, it is very time consuming to make. Would give it 5 stars with these corrections:
1-Somebody at FN PLEASE fix the typo (and it has GOT to be a typo "12 cups tortilla chips"!!!!!! I used just one bag of tortilla chips (which came to 4 cups and it was still a little too much. 4 cups covered the bottom of the casserole dish about an inch deep and it does expand when baked.
2-Add more cheese to your taste
3-Add more seasoning.....although I used Emeril's Southwest Seasoning bottled version instead of the recipe for the seasoning.
Another recommendation: I took this for a potluck lunch at work with no way to keep it warm (baked it the morning of. It is definitely much better when it is piping hot.
By Linda301
Frederick, MD
on April 17, 2012
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Delicious, but there is a lot of prep.
By CALeverett
on February 23, 2012
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this was a hit in my house. We'll have leftovers and I'm sure they will be super good too!
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