Mexican Chicken Couscous Casserole

I don't know about your family, but the majority of our meals are Mexican or Italian. 

Our family loves those flavor profiles probably because they are used to me making those types of food.

Growing up, my mom made us dinner every night. We rarely went out to eat. I think this is what helped shape me into someone who likes to cook. My mom learned this from her mom....My Grammy who also loved to cook homemade meals.

 I love to cook & love to plan out meals. We do have pizza every Friday night, but the other nights I cook. We don't go out to eat very much (unless we are out of town) & we never do take out. I just really love meal planning & cooking.  Meal planning every Sunday (and having an Instant Pot!!!) makes life easier for me as a working mom and it's a way to provide healthy home cooked meals for my family. 

I know casseroles get a bad rap sometimes, but they are quick & easy, they can be made ahead of time AND they can be healthy.......like this one!

This is a recipe that I got from my mom, she made it for us growing up, but I  have tweaked it a little bit to make it even easier to make :)

Here is what you need:

- 4 cups of cooked & cubed/shredded Chicken  
(I cook & shread my chicken using my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken method...so easy! If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can use this method with a Slow Cooker or stove top. My mom uses a Rotisserie Chicken for this meal)
- 1 box of Couscous (I use Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil)
- 1 can of Black Beans, drained
- 1 can of Diced green chilies
- 1 (16oz) jar of Salsa. I use medium, you can use mild if you prefer.
- 1 cup of Sour Cream
- 2 cups shredded cheese (we use Cheddar Jack or Mexican Blend)

Directions:
Cook & shred (or cube) your chicken. You need 4 cups of chicken. I used my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken that I had in the freezer, so I thawed it in the fridge the night before.
(Or you can boil the chicken to cook it our use your Crock Pot)

Cook the Couscous according to package directions.

Usually it takes 5 minutes to cook. After it's done, fluff the couscous with a fork.

In a large bowl, add the 4 cups of chicken, jar of salsa, green chilies, can of black beans (drained) and sour cream.

Stir it all together.

 Then add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese & the couscous.

 Stir all together.

Spray an 8x8 (or 9x9) pan with Pam and then add the mixture to the dish:

 Add the rest of the cheese to the top (about 1/2 cup)

When my mom makes this, she layers all the ingredients...couscous, then black beans, green chilies, sour cream, chicken, salsa & then tops cheese. I mix all the ingredients together & spread in the pan because it's easier & I feel like it has more flavor when it's all mixed together :) 

*** Optional: Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top***

 Cover with foil and back at 350 for 20 minutes. Then take of the foil & bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Now it's ready to be served!

Whenever I make a casserole, I like to add garnishes. They add more flavor & more color :)

For this casserole, I put a bunch of shredded lettuce on a plate, then add the casserole.

I top it with fresh avocado (or guacamole) & fresh salsa.

You could also add more sour cream & more chopped cilantro.

We love this meal & hope you do also!

It's another quick meal that is easy to make & delicious! It's pretty healthy (besides the cheese).

This can easily be made the night before and then you can bake it the next day when you are ready to serve it. 

Enjoy!