Pioneer Woman Spicy Chicken Casserole Recipes

CHICKEN JALAPENO POPPER CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the chicken breasts on one half of a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with the chili powder, cumin and some salt and pepper. Place the jalapeno peppers on the other half of the same baking sheet. Drizzle them with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• On a second baking sheet, lay the bacon slices out in a single layer. Put both baking sheets into the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crispy, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, Cheddar, sour cream, chicken stock and paprika together in a mixing bowl.
• Transfer the bacon and chicken to a cutting board. Dice the chicken and chop the bacon. Add all of the diced chicken to the cream cheese mixture along with half of the chopped bacon. Stir together until well mixed.
• Transfer half of the chicken mixture to an 8-inch square casserole dish. Arrange half of the roasted jalapenos on top of the chicken mixture. Top with the remaining chicken mixture followed by the rest of the roasted jalapenos.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the fried jalapenos, breadcrumbs and the remaining bacon. Toss with the melted butter until evenly mixed. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until bubbly and golden, 25 to 27 minutes.

SPICY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 2 pieces of foil.
• Put the chicken in a large pan, season with salt and pepper and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool, then shred the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Save the broth for cooking the spaghetti.
• Remove the sausage from the casings and put into a large skillet with the olive oil. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the sausage meat into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the mushrooms to the skillet. When they give up their liquid, add the green peppers and sundried tomatoes, then cook until just beginning to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside on top of the sausage. Reserve the oil in the skillet.
• Bring the reserved chicken broth back to a boil. Cook the spaghetti in the broth until al dente according to the package instructions, then drain, reserving the broth.
• If there is less than 2 tablespoons oil/fat in the skillet, add some olive oil to make 2 tablespoons. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken broth. When it starts to thicken, after about 5 minutes, add the half-and-half. If it is too thick, thin with some more broth. Turn off the heat and add the basil and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chicken, sausage and vegetables. Stir in the spaghetti.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top and cover with aluminum foil. Cook the casserole immediately, or let cool completely, then freeze.
• If cooking right away, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook for 25 minutes, then uncover the baking dish and cook until heated through, an additional 20 minutes.
• To cook from frozen: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cook the frozen casserole for 2 hours, then raise the temperature to 375 degrees F, uncover and cook until heated through, 15 minutes more.
• Serve with salad and French bread.

SPICY CHICKEN-TORTILLA CHIP CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, cumin, oregano and cayenne and stir until coated. Add the chicken broth and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the salsa and remove from the heat. Stir in the chicken, white beans and 1 cup cilantro.
• Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Spread one-third of the crushed tortilla chips in the bottom. Top with half of the chicken mixture. Spread another layer of tortilla chips on top and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with the remaining chicken mixture, tortilla chips and cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until lightly browned and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Top with more cilantro.

CHICKEN TORTILLA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook the rice according to the package directions. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and add the tomatoes, garlic and onions. Stir and cook for a minute or 2. Add 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the paprika and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Stir and cook the mixture for another minute or 2 in order to release the flavors. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
• In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the chicken along with the remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin and some salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is deep golden brown and done in the middle, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and stir to make a sauce. Allow the sauce to boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the pinto and kidney beans and set aside.
• To assemble, pour half of the jar of salsa verde (about a cup) in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish or disposable foil baking pan. Layer half of the tortillas on top of the salsa verde, overlapping the edges. Spoon the rice over the tortillas, spread the tomato mixture over the rice then sprinkle the corn over the tomatoes. Next, add the chicken and bean mixture, then sprinkle on half the cheese and pour over half the Enchilada Sauce. Next, add the remaining tortillas in a layer, pour on the rest of the salsa verde and Enchilada Sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
• Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow the casserole to sit for a few minutes before serving up to ensure it holds together. Serve with sour cream and cilantro for topping.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the peppers, onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, bouillon cube and some salt and pepper and cook until the spices darken and their flavors are released, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, stir to combine and cook it for another minute. Add the stock and stir to combine, then allow the liquid to thicken. Add the tomato sauce and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce is nice and thick and reduced by about a third, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Allow the sauce to cool slightly, then use an immersion blender to completely puree the sauce until smooth. (Alternatively, you can transfer it to a blender to puree it; just make sure the sauce is cooled, as blending hot liquids is dangerous!)
• The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week and can also be frozen! Just reheat the sauce in a saucepan or skillet for whatever recipe calls for it.