I love Mexican flavors, and casseroles are a perfect dish to make for the week. Leftovers generally taste just as good and are easy to pack as a lunch. I was originally inspired by Smitten Kitchen, but made some changes to more mimic a fajita. Chicken adds a bit more substance, and caramelized onions and peppers are the essence of good chicken fajitas. How can you say no to them?
Chicken Fajita Casserole
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 4 small peppers (green, yellow, orange, red), sliced
- 1 4-oz can diced green chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon ground garlic or 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 can refried black beans
- 5 oz. box of spinach
- 6 flour or corn tortillas (I used sprouted ones from Food For Life)
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (see recipe here)
- 1/2 cup to 2 cups cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 400. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil, onion, peppers, sea salt and pepper. Saute until onion and peppers are beginning to brown (about 4 minutes), then reduce heat to low. Continue to saute until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Note: you will probably need to do this in batches. Don’t pile up the peppers and onions onto the pan. Instead, do them in batches so they brown nicely, and don’t steam.
Add another teaspoon or so of olive oil in the pan. Add in spinach and cover pan. Keep covered until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add in green chiles, garlic, cumin, black beans, and tomato paste. Continue to saute for a few more minutes until the black beans have softened a bit and the mixture isn’t quite as thick. Set aside.
In a 9×12 dish, begin to layer your ingredients in this order: tortillas, black bean mixture, peppers and onions, and chicken. If using cheese, place on top of the chicken for each layer. Alternatively, you can just place cheese on top. Repeat for three layers. Place in oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, and then broil for an additional 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.