Recipe: Chicken Fajita Casserole

This simple casserole makes a great potluck recipe. It's got plenty of summer veggies in it - feel free to make your own salsa if you have a ton of tomatoes right now! It's easy and delicious, and will be a hit at your next pot luck.

Chicken Fajita Casserole
(Makes 8-10 potluck servings.)

Ingredients:

2 tsp cooking oil
1 medium size onion, cut into thin strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (or 12 oz fresh spinach, washed, dried, and chopped)
1 lb cooked chicken, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 cups good prepared salsa
4 small (6 inch size) corn tortillas, torn into 1 inch pieces
4 oz shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees; coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
• Pour oil into large skillet over medium-high heat, then add onion and bell pepper, and cook just until crisp/tender, then stir in the spinach and cook until hot; remove mixture from skillet to a bowl  with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the chicken, garlic, and chili powder to the hot skillet and stir, cooking, just until the chicken is heated through and the garlic is fragrant.
• Spread 1/2 CUP of the salsa evenly into the baking dish.
• Begin the layers:
  Half the torn tortilla pieces
  Half the chicken mixture
  Half the veggie mixture
  Half the remaining salsa
  Half the cheese
• Repeat the layers EXCEPT do not add the remaining cheese
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese, then continue baking UNCOVERED for 5 to 7 minutes or just until the cheese is melted.
• Remove and let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.