Skinny Chicken Taco Casserole Recipe for Mexican Food Night (9 Ingredients) by Donna John

Mexican casseroles are one of my weaknesses. What's not to love about a hot-out-of-the-oven casserole full of Mexican flavors and ingredients? But my husband and I are trying to eat healthier and cut calories to shed of few of these unwanted pounds that keep hanging around. This easy skinny chicken taco casserole recipe is full of those flavors we love without so much fat, calories and salt. So instead of Friday night Mexican food out with margaritas, we're enjoying healthier Mexican Food Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday or...).

Photo credit (all photos): Donna John

To make this low-calorie, healthier chicken casserole, you will need to gather the following ingredients: corn tortillas, riced cauliflower (check out the health benefits of cauliflower), brown rice, taco sauce or enchilada sauce, a green pepper, a fresh tomato, red onion, cooked shredded chicken, cheddar cheese and optional fresh cilantro (I'm always on Team Cilantro!). The fresh, gluten-free ingredients bake up in about 30 minutes.

Shortcut Tips

• To cut prep time, I used precooked brown rice.
  

• Because the vegetables go in raw and are not cooked in a skillet to soften first, chop them smaller so they cook faster.

• If you don't have leftover chicken meat, cook about two chicken breasts or four boneless chicken thighs. You could also use rotisserie chicken.

Serve this high-protein and high-fiber Mexican casserole for dinner with your favorite side dishes any day of the week. I kept it simple and served mine with some fresh guacamole on the side. If you love Mexican casseroles, here's a few more to try:

• Skinny King Ranch Casserole
• Walking Taco Casserole
• Creamy Chicken Fajita Casserole
• Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

Cuisine: Mexican / Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 6 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
• 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups taco sauce or enchilada sauce
• 1 poblano pepper or green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

Here's how to make it:

1. Put one-third of the tortilla quarters onto the bottom of a lightly oiled casserole dish.
2. Top with the cauliflower and brown rice. Drizzle with some of the taco sauce or enchilada sauce. (I used a Mexican salsa, but next time will use red enchilada sauce. Use whatever sauce you enjoy the flavor and heat of in this casserole.)
3. Add more tortillas on top.
4. Top with the chopped peppers, tomatoes, onions and chicken. Drizzle with some of the taco sauce or enchilada sauce.
5. Top with the remaining tortillas. Cover with the remaining taco sauce or enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. (You can use reduced-fat cheese for this recipe. Don't like cheddar? Try a Mexican blend, Monterey Jack or your favorite cheese.)
6. Cover and bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for about 30 minutes. (If your casserole dish doesn't have a lid, cover with aluminum foil.) Uncover and bake about 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.

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. 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.

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