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Promising the best south of the border flavours, this fiesta chicken pasta casserole bake is a nice homage to Mexico. Chicken, corn and black beans pair with tomatoes, sour cream and Mexican and Tex-mex inspired seasonings to make this perfect Mexican chicken casserole. This southwest chicken and pasta casserole is perfect to use with rotisserie or leftover chicken.
Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole Bake is filled with chicken, pasta, corn and beans. It’s a great way to use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken and this cheesy chicken bake is a delicious weeknight dinner.
Also try mushroom gruyere chicken rice casserole or cheesy vegetable casserole. Slow cooker salsa fresca chicken and seafood paella are also delicious!
Casseroles like this one are always great for the autumn or winter. They’re hearty, warming and something you can put together relatively quickly. You can also make tweaks to personalize it and experiment with different flavours.
Along with the pasta, you’ll need chicken, Rotel tomatoes, sour cream, chicken soup, cumin, cheese, chillies, olives, chicken, corn and black beans. I bet you already have most of these Southwest chicken and pasta casserole ingredients already.
It’s a nice rotisserie or leftover chicken recipe and makes a change from chicken sandwiches! I like to roast a whole bird sometimes since there are so many things you can do with leftover chicken.
Picking up a cooked rotisserie chicken from the store is also a good idea and can save you precious time if making this for a snappy weeknight supper.
Easy Mexican Chicken Casserole Preparation
This rotisserie or leftover chicken recipe is very easy. After cooking and draining the pasta you can mix in the rest of the ingredients apart from some of the cheese and olives. Mix everything together then stir this with the pasta mixture.
Now just spread everything in a baking dish, add more cheese on top and bake it in the oven! I like to add black olives and fresh cilantro on top. You might like to add salsa, avocado or guacamole, or any other Mexican style garnishes you want.
Mexican Chicken Pasta Casserole Bake Variations
One of the best things about this Southwest chicken and pasta casserole is there are so many variations. If you have leftover sausage, pork or beef, they would work instead.
As for the pasta, choose from any pasta shapes you want. Anything would go here, from ribbon noodles like tagliatelle to penne, shells or other pasta shapes. Gluten-free pasta would work too of course.
Rotel tomatoes come in different heat levels so you can choose between a mild or spicy result, or something in between. Add canned or fresh chillies. Fresh jalapeños work well here or try poblanos for a milder taste.
Sub green olives for the black ones or half of the cream of chicken soup for cream of cheese soup or even creamy mushroom soup.
As for the black beans, this rotisserie chicken pasta casserole easily adapts to your preferred kind. So if you prefer garbanzo, navy, lima, or kidney beans, throw those in instead. You can also use a canned 3-bean mix or similar in your Mexican chicken casserole.
Although this rotisserie or leftover chicken recipe offers bold Mexican flavours, it’s more of a fusion dish. Pasta is, of course, Italian. But it has such a neutral flavour it really is perfect in this fiesta chicken pasta casserole bake. If you are looking for a southwest inspired recipe that doesn’t have pasta, try out these southwest egg rolls made in the air fryer.
What are Rotel Tomatoes and is There a Substitute?
Rotel tomatoes are widely available, but of course that depends where you are. You can find them in Canada and the US but not everywhere else. Rotel tomatoes are basically canned tomatoes with some added heat. There are fire-roasted chillies in the can with the tomatoes. They’re popular in recipes like tortilla soup and queso.
You can substitute regular chopped tomatoes and extra drained green chillies if you don’t have Rotel. The fiesta chicken pasta bake recipe does already call for green chillies but you can always add more if you’re a spice lover!
How to Store Leftovers
Cover any leftovers with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate them. It’s best to use them up within 3 days. You can also freeze individual portions of this Southwest chicken and pasta casserole. You will find that this chicken, corn and black beans dish make a great lunch!
Freezing doesn’t seem to do anything to the texture so make extra, freeze portions and whenever you’re at home and in the mood for a hot lunch, this is great!
You can adjust the flavours in this fiesta chicken pasta casserole bake if you like. Chillies, cumin and garlic are always great in Mexican inspired recipes. Add a pinch of dried oregano too if you like.
Marvelous Mexican Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe
Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole Bake
Ingredients
- 8 Ounces pasta, uncooked
- 3 Cups chicken, cooked, shredded
- 1 Can rotel, 10 ounces
- 1 Cup sour cream
- 1 Can corn, whole kernel, 15 ounce, drained
- 1 Can black beans, whole, 15 ounce, drained, rinsed
- 3/4 Cup black olives, sliced and divided
- 1 Can green chilis, 7 ounce, diced
- 1 Can cream of chicken soup, 10.75 ounce
- 1 Teaspoon cumin
- 1 Teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 Cups cheese, shredded Mexican blend, divided
- cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.
- Save 1 cup of cheese, ¼ cup black olives and the cilantro.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all remaining ingredients.
- Mix in the cooked pasta and combine.
- Pour into the 9in x 13in pan and spread evenly. Cover with remaining cheese and cover with tin foil.
- Bake for 20 minutes then remove the tin foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove and serve with remaining black olives and cilantro. This is also delicious with avocado and salsa.
Nutrition
Something else I love adding to this fiesta chicken casserole is chipotle powder. This powder is made of smoke-dried jalapeños. The touch of smoke adds a wonderful flavour so if you see some of that in the store, grab it! Oh, and a pinch goes a long way. This fiesta chicken casserole with pasta is sure to become a family favourite! Be sure to add this to your list of favourite leftover rotisserie chicken pasta recipes.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Can I put this casserole together tonight and cook in the over tomorrow? Should I make any changes?
Hi Tabitha, the only change I would recommend is adding another 5 minutes or so on to the baking time (because you’ll be cooking it from chilled). Check it’s piping hot in the center before serving.
This fiesta chicken pasta casserole is a winner! So flavorful and perfect for leftover chicken!
So happy I treid this recipe recently!
My family tried it and they were so obsessed.
We’re trying to keep away from processed food as much as possible so, what can be used instead of the cannned soup?
I have not tried for this particular recipe, but I have used Sour Cream & Chicken Broth in other recipes. Let me know if you try it.
make a bechamel sauce and add taco seasoning or chicken bullion if your trying to stay as close to the original recipe as possible
Thanks for the tip!
Yum! this is my kind of meal