CHICKEN TACO CASSEROLE

By grinder

Ingredients

• 12 oz. chicken breast strips for stir-frying
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped red or green sweet pepper {1 medium}
• 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• 1.5 cups salsa
• 4 {6”} corn tortillas, coarsely torn
• 3 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered or chopped {optional}
• 1/2 of an avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, chopped {optional}
• Corn chips, baked tortilla chips, or broken taco shells {optional}

Details

Adapted from bhg.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Preheat skillet over med-high heat.

In a medium bowl toss together chicken, garlic and chili powder. Add to hot skillet. Cook 4-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring frequently. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. Add canola oil to skillet. Add onion and sweet pepper. Cook over med-heat about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach.

Coat a 2-quart square baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about ½ cup of the salsa in the baking dish. Top with half of the tortilla pieces, half of the chicken mixture, and half of the vegetable mixture. Pour half of the remaining salsa over the vegetables and top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers once, except do not top with the remaining cheese.

Bake, covered, 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with cherry tomatoes, chopped avocado, and/or corn chips.