Description
This Tex Mex Chicken Noodle Casserole is a hearty, cheesy, and flavor-packed dish loaded with tender chicken, rotini pasta, veggies, corn, green chiles, and a creamy taco-spiced sauce. Topped with melty cheese and crunchy Fritos, it’s the ultimate comfort food with a Tex Mex twist.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried rotini pasta (about 3 cups)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced
- 1 1/2 cups corn
- 1 (7-ounce) can green chiles
- 2 cups shredded cheese (pepper jack and cheddar blend)
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Fritos corn chips
- Green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook rotini pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large oven-safe skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add diced red bell pepper and onion, and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Stir in flour and cook for 2–3 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste.
- Gradually whisk in chicken stock and half and half until smooth. Simmer for 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Whisk in salt, black pepper, paprika, and taco seasoning.
- Fold in cooked pasta, diced chicken, corn, green chiles, and shredded cheese. Stir until evenly combined.
- Sprinkle crushed Fritos corn chips evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and serve warm.
Notes
- You can use rotisserie chicken for a quicker prep time.
- Swap Fritos for crushed tortilla chips or skip for a gluten-free topping.
- For extra heat, add a diced jalapeño or use spicy taco seasoning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 605
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
