Tex Mex Chicken Noodle Casserole.’

Tex Mex Casserole is a hearty meal featuring rotini pasta, sweet red bell peppers and onion, tender, juicy seasoned chicken. Topped with melty cheese and, crunchy, crushed Fritos corn chips. 

A serving spoon scooping out some casserole.

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I love the various textures throughout this casserole, just like my One Pot Mexican Rice Casserole and the Tex Mex combination of flavors you get from this meal is delicious just like my Mexican Pizzas.

Why This Casserole Works

Every scoop of this easy casserole is exploding with flavor and the fact that you can have this casserole on the table in only 45 minutes, makes it the perfect dinner to whip up for your whole family on those busy weeknights. 

It’s so simple to customize if you need to, making it a no-brainer even if you have picky eaters!If you like pasta dinner, with a little more kick, try this Buffalo Chicken Pasta.

Ingredients Needed

  • Pasta:  dried rotini pasta about 3 cups
  • Dairy: Butter, half and half, and shredded cheese like Pepper Jack and cheddar cheese.
  • Vegetables: Red bell pepper, diced onion, corn, canned green chiles, and green onions for garnish.
  • All purpose flour: Helps to thicken the sauce.
  • Chicken stock: Low sodium
  • Herbs and spices: Salt, black pepper, paprika, and taco seasoning 
  • Chicken: diced cooked chicken. This is an easy way to use leftover chicken from another meal or use rotisserie chicken.
  • Chips: Crushed Fritos corn chips
butter sauteeing onions and red peppers in a skillet.
  • Step 1: Heat an oven-safe skillet and melt your butter. Add red peppers and onions to the skillet and cook until soft. 
  • Step 2: Whisk in flour and cook a few minutes in the large skillet. 
Stock added to the skillet to thicken and the rest of the ingredients added in.
  • Step 3: Next, whisk in chicken stock with your half and half and bring to a low simmer to thicken. 
  • Step 4: Add salt, pepper, paprika, and taco seasoning. Whisk to combine. 
  • Step 5: Add cooked pasta, chicken, corn, green chiles, and shredded cheese and fold to combine together.
  • Step 6: Sprinkle with crushed chips on as the top layers before baking.
A spoon scooping out some casserole from a skillet.

Recipe Tips

  • When cooking pasta for this Tex-mex casserole, be sure to cook to al dente as it will continue to cook a bit more in the oven.
  • In addition to the green onions, you can garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream. 
  • No Fritos? Try crushing up tortilla chips instead.  
  • The best part is the leftovers taste just as good the next day! Be sure to transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. The chips may start to turn soggy over time. 
  • For the ultimate Tex-Mex experience, serve this casserole with some homemade tortilla chips and homemade Fire Roasted Salsa– it will quickly become a new family favorite meal to add to your weekly meal plan rotation, especially on Taco Tuesdays! 
Chicken noodle casserole on a plate.

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