Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole Bake

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.

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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.

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.

Fiesta 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.

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole Bake Recipe

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

• Air Fryer Fiesta Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Easy Baked Feta Pasta – Tik Tok Recipe
• Chicken Enchilada Soup – Chili’s Copycat
• One Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
• Italian Baked Ham Provolone Rosettes