Mexican Weekend Casserole 🇲🇽🍝

This was a spontaneous weekend meal, whipped up from what we already had in the fridge. Definitely no strict recipe—just Mexican-inspired flavors and a short, cheesy bake. The result?
Perfectly comforting and saucy, with gooey melted cheese and crispy tortilla chips on top.
I usually add black beans, but this weekend I kept it flexible.

Mi amor tenía ganas de un casserole mexicano. 🧡🍽️

🌿 Ingredients

250 g cooked pasta (penne or macaroni, al dente)
200 g shredded cooked chicken breast
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 small can canned tomatoes (about 200–240 g)
¾ cup corn
¾ cup green bell pepper, diced
¾ cup shallots, sliced
3–4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1–2 tbsp chopped olives
150 g cheddar cheese
A handful of nacho chips, roughly broken
Spring onions, chopped (for garnish)
Pasta cooking water (reserved)
Lime, for serving

Mexican seasoning

2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder (if not using fresh garlic)
Salt & black pepper

Method

1. Cook the pasta

Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve some pasta water.

2. Build the base

Heat olive oil in a pan. Sauté shallots and bell pepper over medium heat until soft. Add garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.

3. Make the sauce

Add fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes to the pan. Season with all the Mexican seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Simmer for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the chopped olives, then turn off the heat.

4. Combine

In a large bowl, mix:

Cooked pasta
Shredded chicken (The chicken was air-fried and shredded with a fork.)
Corn
Prepared sauce

Add ¼ cup of pasta water, mix well. If it still looks dry, add a little more at a time (up to ½ cup total). The mixture should look moist and well-coated, not soupy.