The Ultimate Make-Ahead Meal
Imagine a flavorful, nutritious meal that’s made all in one casserole dish that can be made ahead and reheated for an ultra-quick dinner or weekday lunches. This is that chicken casserole. This Southwest chicken casserole with quinoa requires only 20 minutes of hands-on prep time. The rest of the time it’ll be tucked away in the oven baking to perfection while you tidy up the kitchen and move on to other things. To speed up prep on busy weeknights, spend a little time on the weekend chopping the vegetables, cooking and dicing the chicken (use our easy, no fail method for perfectly cooked chicken breasts), and measure out the spices. Then all you have to do is combine, mix, cover, and bake this quinoa casserole when you’re ready.
Ingredients to Make Southwest Chicken Casserole
While this ingredient list may look long, have no fear. Many of the ingredients are ones that you likely already have on hand in your pantry or freezer, like everyday spices, canned goods, and frozen veggies.
It’s Made In One Dish. One 9×13-inch casserole dish is all you need if using leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. A Protein-Packed Dinner. The combination of lean chicken breasts, quinoa, and black beans gives this Southwest Chicken Casserole a serious protein punch. Healthy, Quick, and Delicious. Like so many of our recipes, we’ve packed this casserole with veggies for color, texture, vitamins, and fiber. It Feeds A Crowd. With 8 servings per pan, this chicken casserole is perfect for gatherings, potlucks, family dinners, or anytime there are teenagers involved. The Leftovers Reheat Beautifully. You’ll be the envy of the break room when you pack this Southwest Chicken Casserole for lunch. So long, cold sandwich.
Cooked Chicken – Leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken are great shortcuts for this recipe. If starting with raw chicken, check out our recipe for How to Make the Perfect Chicken Breast or this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Recipe (skip the shredding and dice instead) Quinoa – This chicken casserole uses dry (uncooked) quinoa – no need to cook it first! Bell pepper – Any color of bell pepper will work Jalapeño – Remove the seeds and membranes for less heat or omit, if desiredFrozen cauliflower rice – No need to thaw first, just toss it in the pan and stir. Why cauliflower rice? It’s a great way to sneak in some veggies while keeping the carbs balanced and the moisture it gives off during baking helps make that quinoa nice and tender Frozen corn – No frozen corn? Substitute drained canned corn instead Canned Black beans – These are quick and easy shortcut in this recipe. Drain and rinse them under cool, running water to remove much of the added sodium if not using a brand without added saltDiced green chiles Canned diced tomatoes – Look for fire-roasted diced tomatoes to add extra flavor to this Southwest chicken casserole Tomato sauce – Look for ‘no added salt’ tomato sauce to reduce the sodium content Water or chicken broth – Use store-bought broth or make your own using our super easy and economical using our Instant Pot Bone Broth Recipe and Photo TutorialChili Powder – Thrive Market has the best price on one of the most flavorful chili powders we’ve ever tried. Don’t sleep on this one!Ancho chili powder – Ancho chili powder gives this dish a bit of a kick. If you prefer a milder option, replace it with additional chili powderGarlic powderGround cuminOnion powderDried OreganoSmoked paprika or regular paprikaShredded Cheese – We suggest either Colby jack, Monterey jack, cheddar cheese, or a “Mexican” blend that combines several types of flavorful cheeses. To make this casserole dairy-free, use your favorite vegan or dairy-free cheese alternative shredsOptional toppings for serving: sour cream, salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, green onion, jalapeño slices, fresh lime wedges, sliced or diced avocado, etc.
Simple Directions for This Healthy Chicken Casserole
This casserole comes together so quickly with these three steps:
Preheat the oven to 375℉ then prepare a large glass or ceramic baking dish by spraying with cooking spray. Set aside. Add the cooked diced chicken, seasonings, quinoa, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, bell pepper, jalapeño, black beans, frozen cauliflower rice, corn, green chiles, and about 1 ¼ cup of cheese and stir well to combine. That’s right, add it all to the dish. Don’t be shy. Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the quinoa is tender. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake again, uncovered, until the cheese is melted then remove the Southwest chicken casserole from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving with the toppings of your choice.
For the complete directions, ingredient amounts, and nutrition analysis that lists calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium per serving, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Pin Now To Make Later!
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel of Half Acre House
To fully cook and reheat later: Prepare the chicken casserole as directed. Allow casserole to cool before covering or portioning into individual containers and placing in the refrigerator. To prep ahead and bake later: Chop the bell pepper and jalapeño. Cook the chicken and cool. Shred the cheese if not using shredded cheese. Measure and mix the spices. Store the vegetables, chicken, and cheese in separate containers in the fridge until ready to use. Store the spices in a covered container or jar with lid at room temperature. When you’re ready to make this casserole, you simply need to stir your prepped ingredients together, then bake!
Purchase chicken breasts in ‘value packs’. Freeze what you don’t need for this recipe to use later. Opt for store-brand canned beans, tomato products, broth (if not making your own), and spices. Purchase block cheese and shred your own using a box grater or the shredding disc of your food processor.
For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
