Queso Chicken Casserole is comfort food at its finest! This simple chicken casserole is LOADED with melted cheese, zesty Rotel® Original Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles, tender chicken, corn, and baked on a bed of refried beans. This delicious combo makes a filling dinner or an over the top delicious dip!
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The BEST Comfort Food Recipe!
Born and raised in Texas, there is nothing I get more excited about than Mexican food. With Cinco de Mayo coming up we love to load up the table with all of our BEST, MOST CRAVEABLE dishes both old and new.
Some of our old favorites include: Mexican Rice, Taco Salad, Pico de Gallo, Mexican Shredded Beef, and Jalapeno Ranch Dressing.
This year we’re adding Queso Chicken Casserole. And not only we will be having this on Cinco de Mayo but my kids all agree that we will be eating this on a regular rotation.
This Chicken Casserole combines warm melted queso with tender chicken corn, and of course Rotel® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies for a little bite with bite! All of that is baked right on top of creamy Rosarita® Traditional Refried Beans for so much flavor, it might actually knock your socks off!
My 10-year-old son tried this for the first time and said, “Mom, what is this?! It is AMAZING!” And he is hard to please my friends, so whether you have picky kids, or a room full of hungry adults watching sports, this dish will be a crowd pleaser.
How to Serve Queso Chicken Casserole
Like many of my recipes here, this recipe works well in a few different ways. Since it is a casserole, it of course makes a great family meal.
But since it is loaded with ingredients such as queso, chicken, and refried beans (to name a few, it also makes a pretty killer dip or appetizer!
However, you decide to serve it, one thing is for sure… it will be a hit!
Served as an Appetizer
When serving as an appetizer, really all you need is the casserole dish full of the Queso Chicken Casserole, and a big bowl of chips. That will keep a crowd happy for sure!
If you want to get a little fancier, you can add veggies such as mini bell peppers or celery or add a pile of soft tortillas which make a great dipper for this dish.
Served as a Main Dish
Queso Chicken Casserole served as a main dish, makes a great family friendly dinner. It comes together quickly and is a filling meal. Here are a few of our favorite ways to dish it up:
- Over rice
- Rolled in tortillas
- In a bowl topped with shredded lettuce and pico de gallo
- In an avocado
- With a side of cornbread
Each of these make a great way to enjoy this casserole. Let me know in the comments which you decide to try.
Recipe Tips
This recipe is as easy to make as I promised! I am going to share a few tips and tricks here to help you get the very best out of this recipe, as well as, answer any questions that may come up while cooking.
Make sure to find the FULL recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients
- Rosarita® Traditional Refried Beans– These are creamy and filled with authentic Mexican flavors! Rosarita® has been making delicious Mexican products and their beans never disappoint. Starting with a great tasting refried bean is super important to making this dish great.
- Rotel® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies– Rotel® is my secret weapon in so many recipes. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably see me cooking with it a lot. I love that it has the convenience of canned tomatoes but packs in the flavor of green chiles and spices. These will up the flavor of anything you cook with!
- Onion
- Processed melting cheese– This type of cheese melts smoothly and allows you to maximize the cheesiness while preventing it becoming greasy.
- Shredded chicken– You can use chicken breast, leftover chicken, or most frequently, I use a rotisserie chicken I grab at the store and pull the meat off of. In a pinch you can even use canned chicken.
- Corn– I generally use frozen, although canned or fresh will work as well.
- Cilantro– adding cilantro gives the whole casserole fresh flavor!
- Shredded cheese- This is optional; however, it makes a nice topping for the casserole.
(Find a short cut to the ingredients here!)
Method
This recipe is as easy as 1-2-3! It comes together in no time at all. Just:
- Spread the refried beans in the casserole dish. Note: make sure you have 2 small cans, or 1 big can!
- Heat the onions, Rotel® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles and processed cheese until nice and melty. No need to drain the Rotel®. You want all the delicious flavor in there. Then you can add in the chicken, corn, and cilantro and pour it over the beans.
- Top with shredded cheese (two kind of cheese… what?!) and bake the casserole to perfection! The casserole really just needs to heat so a minimal time in the oven is okay, but if your company is late, or dinner gets pushed back, you can cover it with foil and leave it in the oven for up to an hour.
Garnish
Garnish is optional, but this casserole is really delicious with a variety of toppings. Here are a few favorites to try:
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
- Extra cilantro
- Crushed tortilla chips
Scaling the recipe
If you need to feed more… or less, this recipe can easily scale up or down. You can directly half the recipe ingredients to make a smaller casserole, or you can double the recipe ingredients to make enough to feed a small army!
Just make sure you have a pan big enough to put it in, otherwise, I recommend making 2 batches and using 2 9×13 pans.
Rotel Chicken Casserole Leftovers
Once you are finished, if you happen to have leftovers, they will save very well.
Just package them up by placing plastic wrap over the casserole dish or transferring them to an airtight container.
Place the leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
When you are ready to eat them, reheat in the microwave or in a covered baking dish in the oven.
I sure hope that you and your family love this easy chicken casserole as much as me and my family have!
Don’t forget… you can grab the Rosarita® Traditional Refried Beans and Rotel® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles with your online grocery order at Walmart. Click here for a shortcut to the ingredients!
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Queso Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 32 oz Rosarita® Traditional Refried Beans (2 small cans)
- 10 oz Rotel® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles (1 can)
- 1/2 onion diced
- 12 oz processed melting cheese cubed
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 1 cup corn
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend shredded
Garnish (Optional)
Instructions
- Spread refried beans in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- In a skillet heat the onions, Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, and processed melting cheese together over medium heat, stirring regularly. Cook about 3-5 minutes or until completely melted. Stir in the chicken, corn and cilantro and mix until combined.
- Remove cheese mixture from the heat and carefully pour over the beans in the casserole dish. Top evenly with shredded Mexican blend cheese.
- Bake at 350˚F for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Then garnish with pico de gallo if desired and serve warm. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Sally says
This looks delicious!!! I cannot wait to make this!
Kimber says
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Sharon Nieves says
This was quick and easy and another great way to use rotisserie chicken. Its a winner!
D says
Can this be permafrost and frozen?
Mary says
We love this recipe, so yummy! I added a can of black beans to it the second time I made it and we love the addition.
Janet Bradley says
Can I use Salsa instead of Rotel in this recipe?
Kimber says
👍 Yes! That should work!
Donna Frost says
This is so easy, good comfort food. Delish!