Twelve ingredients and fifty minutes, starting from chicken that is already cooked.
This is a casserole of peppers, chicken and sauce. There is no tortilla layer under it and nothing bulking it out - no rice, no beans, no corn.
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked shredded chicken
- Four cups. It is already cooked, so the bake reheats it to 165°F rather than cooking it.
- Red, yellow and orange bell peppers
- One of each in strips - the three colours visible across the top of the dish.
- Red enchilada sauce
- A cup and a half. The red sauce is enchilada-style.
- Monterey Jack and cheddar
- A cup of each, shredded, for the melted and browned crust.
Four Layers, and Nothing Underneath
This casserole has no base layer at all: THERE IS NO TORTILLA LAYER, RICE, BEANS OR CORN. What follows is the whole casserole, read from the dish up.
The COLD FINISH
1/2 cup SOUR CREAM and 1/3 cup CHOPPED CILANTRO added AFTER BAKING, with 1 LIME IN WEDGES. Add the sour cream only after baking.
The TWO CHEESES
1 cup SHREDDED MONTEREY JACK and 1 cup SHREDDED CHEDDAR COVERING the dish, then BAKED 20 TO 25 MINUTES UNTIL BUBBLING at 375°F. Jack melts smoothly and cheddar browns, which is the surface in the photograph.
The PEPPER STRIPS - three colours
1 RED, 1 YELLOW and 1 ORANGE BELL PEPPER, SLICED, TOSSED WITH 1 tbsp OLIVE OIL and 1 1/2 tbsp FAJITA SEASONING and SAUTÉED 4 TO 5 MINUTES UNTIL JUST SOFTENED before going into the dish. Just softened keeps them identifiable under the cheese.
The SAUCED CHICKEN
4 cups COOKED SHREDDED CHICKEN COMBINED WITH 1 1/2 cups RED ENCHILADA SAUCE - the ENCHILADA-STYLE FAJITA SAUCE that coats the dish. The chicken is already cooked, so the bake is a reheat: it needs to reach 165°F ON REHEATING.
How to Make It
Oven at 375°F and a 9-by-13-inch dish greased
Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Pepper strips tossed and sautéed just until softened
Toss the pepper strips with the olive oil and fajita seasoning and sauté 4 to 5 minutes, until just softened.
Chicken, peppers and enchilada sauce combined in the dish
Combine the shredded chicken, peppers and red enchilada sauce in the baking dish.
Both cheeses on, baked until bubbling and 165°F
Cover with the Monterey Jack and cheddar and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and the chicken mixture reaches 165°F on reheating.
Sour cream and cilantro on top, lime alongside
Top with the sour cream and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Why This Recipe Works
- Tossing the peppers in oil and fajita seasoning before they cook seasons them directly.
- Four or five minutes leaves the strips just softened, so they stay strips in the bake.
- Enchilada sauce coats shredded chicken more evenly than a thicker sauce would.
- Two cheeses give both the melt and the browned patches on the surface.
- Sour cream added after baking stays cool and white against the hot casserole.
Success Tips
- Stop the peppers while they still have bite; they soften further under the cheese.
- Spread the chicken and sauce evenly so the middle heats at the same rate as the edges.
- Add the sour cream only once the dish is out of the oven.
Serving Ideas
Six portions from the dish: shredded chicken and pepper strips in red fajita sauce under browned cheese, with a dollop of sour cream, chopped cilantro and a lime wedge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a tortilla layer?
No. This casserole has no tortilla, rice, beans or corn in it - just chicken, peppers, sauce and cheese.
What chicken should I use?
Cooked shredded chicken. It is reheated to 165°F in the casserole.
Can the sour cream go in before baking?
No. It goes on after the dish comes out, which is also how it looks in the photograph.
