Description
This Cheesy Chicken Dorito Casserole is a comforting, crowd-pleasing main-course featuring layers of creamy, flavorful sauce, tender shredded chicken, crunchy Cool Ranch Doritos, and melty sharp cheddar cheese. Easily prepared with pantry staples, this baked casserole is perfect for family dinners or potlucks, blending Tex-Mex flavors with cheesy goodness in every bite.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 10 oz. diced tomatoes with chiles (such as Rotel)
- 10 oz. cream of mushroom soup
- 10 oz. cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Casserole
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 cups roughly broken Doritos chips (Cool Ranch flavor preferred)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Baking Dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper and sauté until they soften, about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the Sauce: To the mixing bowl with the cooked vegetables, add the diced tomatoes with chiles, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, sour cream, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir together until fully combined into a creamy sauce.
- Prepare the Baking Layers: Spread a heaping 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Reserve another heaping 1/2 cup of sauce for later use.
- First Layer: Add half of the shredded chicken over the layer of sauce. Then spoon half of the remaining sauce from the mixing bowl over the chicken. Sprinkle one-third of the shredded cheddar cheese and half of the Doritos chips evenly on top.
- Second Layer: Repeat the layering by adding the remaining chicken, followed by the rest of the sauce from the mixing bowl, another one-third of the cheese, and the rest of the Doritos chips.
- Top and Finish Assembly: Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of sauce over the top and finish with the remaining cheese.
- Bake: Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 30 minutes. Without opening the oven door, increase the temperature to 400°F and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes until the casserole is bubbly and the top is golden and crisp.
Notes
- Do not remove the casserole from the oven when increasing the temperature; the oven may not reach 400°F before baking time ends.
- If you have picky eaters, the sauce can be pureed in a blender before layering into the casserole for a smoother consistency.
- Shredded chicken can be made ahead and freezer portioned for convenience.
- Nutritional information is an estimate only and may vary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of casserole
- Calories: 435
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 1040mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 74mg
