Sandra Day O'Connor's Cream Taco Casserole Recipe by Donna John

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor died on December 1, 2023. According to a statement from the Supreme Court, O'Connor died "of complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer’s, and a respiratory illness.” President Ronald Reagan nominated O'Connor in 1981, and she was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. O'Connor was 93 years old.

One way to honor and keep people alive in our hearts and minds is to make their treasured family recipes. This is O'Connor's gluten-free recipe for cream taco casserole. The easy Mexican chicken casserole has been shared across the internet and appeared in The Arizona Highways Heritage Cookbook.

To make this easy casserole recipe you will need cooked chicken, corn tortillas, cooking oil, an onion, half and half, a can of chopped green chiles, taco sauce and cheddar cheese. Serve this easy Mexican casserole for dinner with your favorite side dishes.

Fun Fact: Only five women have served on the Supreme Court: the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Note: 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.

Cuisine: Mexican / American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup taco sauce
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• butter, for greasing baking dish

Helpful Products

• Measuring Cups
• Skillet
• Salt and Pepper
• Baking Dishes
• Can Opener
• Grater
• Airtight Containers
• Box Grater

Recipe Notes

• O'Connor used corn oil as her cooking oil of choice.

• Instead of butter you could use nonstick cooking spray to prepare the baking dish.

• I didn't have taco sauce, so I used a can of red enchilada sauce.

• Try this recipe with ground beef or ground turkey instead of cooked chicken. Brown the meat in a skillet and season with salt and pepper or taco seasoning before adding it to the casserole dish.

• Do not use low-fat or skim milk for this recipe or you will not get a creamy sauce.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Heat the cooking oil in a skillet. Dip the tortillas into the hot oil to soften. Put onto a plate or paper towels. Salt and tear into quarters. Set aside.
   
2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until soft.
   
3. Add the half and half and cook over low heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped green chiles and taco sauce. Stir. Season with salt and pepper.
   
4. In a buttered 2-quart casserole dish add the tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese, in that order.
   
   
5. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for about 45 minutes.
   
   

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 504

Total Fat: 27.6g

Saturated Fat: 14g

Cholesterol: 116mg

Sodium: 545mg

Total Carbohydrate: 29.3g

Dietary Fiber: 3.5g

Total Sugars: 3.5g

Protein: 34.7g

Vitamin D: 5mcg

Calcium: 392mg

Iron: 2mg

Potassium: 363mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily.