Make Dump-And-Bake Taco Chicken Using Canned Items And The Ingredients In Your Fridge

Dump-and-bake dinners are perfect for busy weeknights or when you just want to empty out those fridge and pantry leftovers. As long as you have some canned vegetables and leftover chicken, you can make a quick and easy taco bake using nothing more than what's lying around your kitchen.

This dinner is similar to our beef taco casserole, but it swaps the beef for chicken and ditches the tortilla chips (or keep them; it's up to you). The taco bake should start by adding shredded chicken to a casserole dish. This meal is an easy way to use rotisserie chicken for meal prep, but you can also get away with using canned chicken or frozen chicken if you have any of these options on hand. The chicken is the anchor here, but everything else you add is completely optional. Canned black beans are filling and nutritionally-balanced, canned corn adds juicy sweetness, while chopped onions will bring some bite and a slightly pungent flavor. Chop up some bell peppers for a bright, subtly sweet flavor profile, and build a creamy texture using sour cream. If you have salsa, go ahead and add it in. Fold everything together, top with shredded cheese of your choice, and bake until bubbly.

The base ingredients add flavor on their own, but the seasonings are what bring the "taco" out in this taco bake. Taco seasoning is a big one that's worth adding, but it's fine if you don't have it in your pantry. You can make a homemade version using a combination of spices like cayenne and paprika, plus robust flavors like onion powder and garlic powder. Some kosher salt is important here, too, but the point is you can raid your spice drawer to build a from-scratch taco seasoning without purchasing anything new.

Once it's seasoned and cooked, serve the taco bake right from the dish. Add some shredded lettuce as a fresh, cold element for a little contrast. It doesn't necessarily need anything more, but now would be a good time to use up the other half of that box of rice to serve it over. Or, heat some tortillas, then add a big scoop of the bake to the tortilla's center for a quick, well-seasoned burrito.