Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Chicken Tortilla Casserole is comfort food to the max. Made with a homemade cream of celery soup, chicken, corn tortillas and a whole lotta cheese, your family will be begging you to make this weekly!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Chicken Casserole, Chicken Casserole Recipe, chicken tortilla casserole

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Servings

Calories 613kcal

Author Katie Cooksey

Ingredients

for homemade cream of celery soup*

1/4 cup butter
1 cup celery finely diced, about 2-2.5 ribs
1 cup onion finely diced, about 1 small
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 1/2 cups milk I used whole milk

other "soup" (sauce) ingredients

1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/3 cup sour cream room temperature
1 tsp salt** for the purpose of this casserole

for rest of casserole

20 corn tortillas yellow or white, ripped up into pieces
4 cups chicken shredded (think Rotisserie!)
16 oz colby cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter.
Add onion and celery and sauté (stirring occasionally) for about 8-10 minutes or until veggies are translucent and softened.
Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano.
Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in chicken broth and milk and bring to a low boil until mixture is thickened, whisking constantly.
Turn off heat and stir in sour cream.
Add a bit of the sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
Place a layer of ripped corn tortillas in the dish.
Next, add a layer of shredded chicken.
Cover chicken completely with a layer of the cream sauce.
Add a layer a cheese on top of the sauce.
Repeat these layers: tortillas, chicken, sauce, cheese until all ingredients are in dish. Final layer should be the last of the cheese.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
Garnish with sour cream, avocado, cilantro, green or red onion or whatever your heart desires and serve!

Notes

*If you prefer to use store-bought canned cream of celery soup, simply use 2 cans of condensed soup + 2 cans of milk. Then add the sour cream, cumin, oregano and more salt.

**I find that corn tortillas need a lot of salt so I add another teaspoon to the sauce. Feel free to omit and allow for everyone to salt the finished dish as needed.

Storing and Make Ahead Directions

Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature before storing. Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

Make Ahead: Prepare casserole as instructed up until baking. At this point cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put in the fridge until ready to bake.

To Freeze: Casseroles are great for freezing and heating later for future meals. Make sure to wrap really well in plastic wrap. This casserole will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months!

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